Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1886-12-16
WILLOW-PATTERNC CHINA
It Had It's Origin in an Ancient
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-white ground, with
landscapes and figures in dark blue de-
picted upon them. In these landscapes
a tree. called by the Chinese a willow,
was conspicuous in the foreground;
whence the style came to be known as
the ''Chinese Willow PATTERN This
was the fashionable tea-set IN the time
of George l. and George II. The
Dutch and English manufacturers imi-
tated it, and produced not only tea
sets but dinner services of the same
pattern, though very coarse compared
with the genuine Chinese article.
These were imported to America,
where they became SO common that
few families of means were without a
full willow-pattern table-scrvice. Aft
onward, as iandsomer china appeared,
this was voted old-fashionei ana even
vulgar, SO that in time it almost entire
1y disappeared. This, however, was
not until after the time of President
aShington-as we are told that at
some of Mrs. Washington dinner and
tea parties service of the blue willow
pattern china was used.
Many elderly people now living can
recall how, when they were little chill
dren. they would sit at their grand
mothers tables and study the blue
plates, and cups and saucers. wonder
ing ''what the pictures meant''-or in
venting stories of their own to suit
them. Most children obtained their
first idea of China from these blue
cups and plates, and must have fam
cied it a strange country, where trees.
and birds, and houses and people were
altogether different from our own. AS
a witty English lady wrote:
j have never been to China and hope never
Be chosen as Ambassadress to Pekin or Chu-
san:
But know the kind of place 1t is, as well as
wiser pateS.
From different Works on China, illustrated by
plates.
The co'or of the country is kind of dirty
blue,
With chaotic land and water here and there
appearing through:
1ntcrSperSed with funny bridges and paths
that seem to glide
TO very funny houses upon the other side.
There are fr ghtful flowers, growing upside.
down and inside out:
Trees with caterpillars laden-some with roots
and some without
and so on. describing the oddities of
that country which its boastful inhab-
itants call 1.-THE Celestial Empire" and
which they declare to be older than
the moon. One of the 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 are drawn as large as
those in the foreground, and are repre-
scented as the vain Queen Elizabeth de-
sired that her portrait should be painted
without shadow. as in a garden"
Ii. in the old times. the curious chill
dren had questioned 'grandmamma"
no doubt they often did-as to the
meaning of the pictures on the cups
and plates. the old lady would have
smiled at the inquiry and replied tina.
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 willow-pa tern
picture is an Illustration Of an ancient
Chinese legend or love story. which l
have heard thus explained by a very
intelligent Chinaman in this country.
''Here," he said. pointing to the
right of the Blue plate which he held in
his hand. as lor,lly Mandarin's lord
~ country-aouse, in garden by the
side of the river. The house is two
stories high and has tea-pavilion in
front, all of which shows the rank and
wealth of the lordly Mandarin. In the
garden is Il tree with mulberries on it
-notcaterpiilars-and another full of
cannon-balls--to show
what fine. fruitful garden it
is. All around the estate is al
elegant bamboo fence, and SPAN
ming the river is q fine arched
bridge. Back of the house is little
gardeners cottage. to show how poor
and humble is the gardner. though he
made ali those fine irGit 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 the
bridge with a distaff in iler hand. On
the bridge is the young gardener and
the illustrious Mandarin's beautiful
daughter carrying between them on
bamboo pole a heavy box; and there
behind them comes the lordly Manda-
rim himself with a long whip. And
here. last G. all. is the mOIrnful willow
tree, and IA the air the pair of turtle
doves via their .beaks Joined. which
makes tie faost beautiful part of the
story. And it is a true story, as all
Chimes people know.
So Auch tor the picture; and now