Blue and White Willow Pattern Pearlware Small Plate, c. 1810-20

Small blue and white plate in the Willow Pattern with the characteristic blue glaze of pearlware. Apart from firing imperfections in the glaze, the plate is in excellent condition with no scratches, chips or cracks.

The Willow Pattern as we know it was developed by Josiah Spode from an original Chinese pattern. His first version may have been produced in about 1790. The engraving was all by line, except for the oranges on the tree, while the blue used was quite dark. Willow II is from copper plates engraved at much the same time, all line work but of finer quality. The tone of blue is paler and softer. In Willow IIII produced after 1810, there are substantial areas of stipple punchwork. This is the version which became the standard Willow Pattern. The colour varies from bright blue in the earlier wares of 1810-1820 to the harder, non-flowing blue of later pieces.

A number of other manufacturers produced the Willow pattern as well as Spode. According to Robert Copeland’s book, the number of arches or oranges is not an indication of maker.