The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-14
THE HISTORIC
BLUE WILLOW WARE.
Its History Told by a Savannahian Who Has
One OF the Finest Collections in
This Country.

living now who has not inquisitively
contemplated the figures on the will
low pattern plate?' Who, in childish
curiosity, has not wondered. at first
sight what these three persons on the
bridge were doing, whence they came
and where they are going? Where is
the boatman from? Will those doves
never cease kissing, as if immensely
joyful over some good deed done? Who
is there through whose mind such
thoughts have not passed. as his or her
eyes have rested upon the willow pat
tern plates" as they lay on the dinner
table, or brightly glittered in the cot
tage plate-rack?
1.-The willow pattern in spite
of its want of artistic beauty,
is dear to us: it is like the picture of
an old friend and companion whose
portrait we see often, but never grow
weary of. It's charms are unchanged,
whether we view it on a fiat dish.
rounded into a soup plate, or contorted
into a tureen, teapot or sugar dish. In
every change of form there the three
blue people are rushing over the
bridge, the boat sits quietly in the
stream and the doves are constantly
kissing and fluttering. What is it all
about? The story was, to the Chinese
what Robinson Crusoe is to us. and
A1A" AlQOOAC Pa SAAS SNOAJ 49, 'S~S~'
Pottery in History.
The most learned historians say
that pottery-making is the oldest and
the most widely diffused of the human
arts. It's recorded history antedates
the building of the Tower of Babel.
Every people, civilized and barbarian,
have practised the art in some form.
The first fire built in soft clay formed
a dish that suggested to the fire build
er that he could convert soft clay into
an article of use; shaping, coloring and
ornamenting followed.
Blue is from cobalt, green from cop
per, red from iron and gold, yellow
from anthony, lead and tin, and other
coloSs from different pigments and
from the blending of these colors. Blue
was one of the first colorings used for
the decoration of baked clay. 1t was
used 1000 years before Christ. The
blue of the Egyptians has never been
surpassed. The Chinese used blue
from very early period. In the fif-
teenth century the Chinese received CO.
bait, but from the Mohammedans,
which at that time was worth double
it's weight in gold.
1.-THE glaze on crockery is prepared
in LIQUID form, and is about the color
and consistency of cream. When a
dish is dipped into this, an opaque,
white coating rests on the surface,
which covers all the decorations. The
furnace melts it into transparent glaze.
Printing-or, as it is sometimes called
transfer printing-was first practiced
about 1855, at Liverpool, England,
where it was probably invented. A
copper-plate engraving is printed on
paper. the paper then laid on the sur
face Of the dish to be decorated, and
gently pressed so as to transfer the ink
from the paper to the clay. 1t is then
dipped in the glaze and sent to the
oven. Color. except in gems, is no.
where so brilliant and effective as In
enameled pottery and porcelain.
As n Room Decoration.
"Tbe most cheerful household. decora-
tions arc produced by the use Of pottery
on walls and in cabinets Children grow
nm among fine pieces with love OF
beauty The table ceases 10 be mere
feeding-place The dearest associa-
TONS are with the home table. whether
n b. furnished with rarest porcelain
~ China or simply "A SET Or STAFFORD
ebfre blue-and white erOekery Among
ne principal Dotteries ~ Shropshire
60 rauebiev's, established about 1851
~ are Th0n1as Turner built o factory
81 which me CauRhlsy wares Qf Yari-
s.fts kfnas we're reproduced. Ills pot
ferses and p0rcelains were untuf paetta
A. au EnFianG and FOR decorations ne
snploysd tbs best artists Ds eplie So