The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-12-08
WlLLOW-P CHINA
1t Had It's Origin in an Ancient
Love Story.

~ x4oA 4Uo vi ia eSA4 &AhSSOAAS l
"a Love Story. |
Among the first specimens of porce-
lain brought by the Dutch from China,
over two hundred years ago. were tiny |
tea-sets of bluish-whtc ground, with
landscapes and figures in dark blue de-
pictcl upon them. In these landscapes
tree, called by the Chinese willow, I
was conspicuous in the foreground;
whence the style came to be known as
the "Chinese WiIIow.PAttern. This
was the fashionable teas t IN the time
Of George l. and George II. - The
> Dutch and english manufacturers imi-
4 tated it, and produced not only tea
sets but dinner services Of the same
pattern, though very coarse mp,red
with the genuine Chinese article.
These were imported to America,
where they became so common that
few families of means were without a
fun willow p Ittern table service. Att
erward, as handsomer china appeared.
this WAS voted Old-fashioned and even
vulgar, so that in time it almost entir4-
~ disappeared. This, however, was
not until after the time Of President
Westinghouse we are told that at
some of Mrs. Washington dinner and
tea parties service OF the blue Willow
pattern china was used. W
Many elderly people now living can
rnnnjl hnu h, = thny littlAl nhil.
dren, they would sit at their grand.
mothers tables and study the blue
plates, and cups and saucersi wonder,
ing what the pictures meant or in
venting stories of their own to suit
them. Most children obtained their
first idea of CHI ma from these blue
cups and plates, and must have fan
cied il strange country. where trees.
and birds. and houses and people were
altogether different from our own. As
d witty English lady wrote: ~ 81
Ihayo never boon to China. aud hope never
lie choseu as Ambassadors to Pekin or Gnu.
Butt know the kind Of plsoo 1t is. as well as
From dliier eV Works on China. illustrated by
, The CO or Of tho country is kind of dirty
blue, ~. t
With chaotic land and water hore and there
appearing through;
lnterspersed with funny bridges, and paths
that seem to glide
10 very funny houses upou the other dc.
There are fr Ehtful flowers, growing upside
down aud ms do out;
Trees with caterpil!ars ladou-sOrle with roots
and some without
and so on, describing the oddities of
that country which Its boastful inhab-
itants call ''the Celestial Empire" and
which they declare to be older than
the moon One of tho oddities of the
people, which YOU can behold also IL
lustrated in these blue plates, is that
The Chinese artists use no perspective
and NO shadow in their pictures. The
distant objects arc drawn as large as
those in the foreground. and are repre-
scented AS the vain Queen Elizabeth de-
sired that her portrait should bepantcd
without shadow, as in garden"
If, in the Old times, til, curious chill
dren had questioned "grandmamma"
no doubt they often did to the
meaning of tho pictures on the cups
and plates, the Old lady would have
smiled at the inquiry and replied that
the picture had no meaning. But
since those days We have grown wiser
and more learned in regard to China,
and all pertaining to it and now We
know that the favorite wilow-pattern
picture is an illustration of an ancient
Chinese legend or love story, which
have heard thus explained by very
intelligent Cbinaman in this country.
Here" he said, pointing to the
right of the blue plato which be held in
his hand. 'is lorlly Mandarn's lord.
ly country-house, in q garden by the
side of the river. The house 10 two
stories high and has a tea-pavilion in
front, all Of which shows the rank and
wealth of the lordly Mandarin. In the
garden is tree with mulb rries on il
not caterpillars another full OF
oranges cannon-bslls--to show
what fine. fruitful garden il
is. All around the estate is an
elegant bamboo fence, and span
ming the river is tine arched
bridge. Back OF the house is little
gardeners cottage. to show how pool
and humble ia the gardner. though hi
made all those fine irut trees to grow
In that other poor house, on an island
away out In the river. lives the young
gardeners mother, whom you here be
hold standing at the further end of tn,
bridge with distsff in her hand. Oh
the bridge is tho young gardener and
the illustriOus Mandsrin's beautiful
daughter. carr ying between them on ,
bamboo pole heavy box; and Their,
behind them comes the lordly Manda
rim himself with long whip. AnC
here, last of all. is the mourn III willow
tree, and in the air the pair of turtl,
doves with their bcaks joined. whicl
makes tie most beautiful part OF tn
story. Aud it is a true story. as al
Chinese people know.
So much lor the picture; and nov