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Monday, January 20, 2014

Tea Cup Tuesday-Blue and White


Hello All!
Welcome once again to Tea Cup Tuesday!

Today I am sharing a cup I found while away last fall.

Many of you have inspired me with your beautiful blue and white china.
As I did not own any blue and white transferware at all,
I paid my $1.50 and I brought this one home.


I believe pattern is called Blue Willow Pagoda...

The deep blue really is quite lovely to look at.
I adore this stylish handle.

As I was giving this cup a good cleaning,
I was taken with the artwork.


 The plate is very busy with it's intricate border.
The floor of the dish tells a story.


Here you see the landscape around the home and gardens,
and a large manor home surrounded by walls and trees. 
Can you see the woman in the doorway?

(See the many pits in the glaze?)


There is a bridge over a little brook, 
and two people are crossing it.

I wonder if the woman has just bit them good by,
or if she is waiting for their return?


 I am intrigued by the artists creative ways to paint trees.
Here we see circles with dark centers. 
I was wondering if these were blossoms?


 At the top of the plate you can see the houses on the next hill.

There is a tree with just circles, one with long arms of leaves,
and the one bottom center has a muted look to it.

 
This lovely cup too...
a grand home, surrounded by a fine fence.
The trees here too are fanciful, large balls of foliage.
Are they manicured to look that way? 
Some wealthy estate owners would have gardeners
to create a look like this.


The waves are beautiful,
the tree behind looks stenciled...
and the little house is sweet.

If I turn the cup a bit more.....


we see this scene...

Are they returning home after a good day fishing?

Now we can see the men crossing the bridge more clearly,
 and we can see that the poles are in front of them,

We might use this info to decide that the two 
fishermen on the plate are returning home.


Such a fanciful tree!
And magical birds!


 Above the fishermen on the bridge
A little boat still floats in the sea.


There is one more house gracing the bottom of the cup.
Here you can see some of the stray blue marks and the mysterious bronze ones.
They will not come out, 
They are either in the glaze or below.


A little house with the birds singing above.
You can really see the pit marks here as well as the bronze ones.

My only interest in these marks is in dating the cup.
I will happily use this cup for tea regardless.
Is it really old? 
Or was it poorly made? Lol!


Here is the backstamp:
It has the "bird" trademark, that was registered in 1880, along with
the words "Stoke On Trent". Prior to 1880, they did not mention 
the town it was manufactured in.
This cup is missing the town name.

The  blue window with "Semi China"in it was used beginning 1927 +
but had the pattern name too, which this cup does not.

So I am somewhat confused at to the date of this cup.
I did not find any exact example. 
Does anyone of you have a book on transferware backstamps?



I hope you enjoyed this cup's tale.
Or at least what I thought it was saying!
I finished my post and then thought to look up
the history behind the pattern.
I found out that it may be based on old Chinese legend,
about a rich man who's beautiful daughter falls in love
with a man he does not approve of.
They do run off together and live for a while.
But eventually it all goes wrong! 
Not a happy story. 
(it is she that waits in the doorway, it is the lover in the boat coming
to sneak her away,the men on the bridge are not fishermen...
but men coming to "take care" of the situation.)
 Art can be so dramatic!

*********

Thank you so very much for visiting today : )
I apologize for the super long post!
I truly appreciate each visit,
and if you read it all, I am impressed!

Last post you all blessed me with so 
many heart touching and encouraging comments!
Thank you!

If you would like to join Martha and me in 
sharing tea cups, just go and prepare a post with your tea cup in it
then come back here and link that post up below.
Then Martha and I can come by and visit you too!

39 comments:

Heirloom treasures said...

Terri,I was going to mention the story of the willow pattern,but then read you had found it. Stoke on Trent is the town in England where all the potteries used to be. I believe they had all closed until a young couple bought one and started it going again because they couldn't bare to think of such history disappearing.
When I was a child growing up in West Midlands of England,I used to go to the potteries with my parents to buy for the shop they owned. Great memories. I now live in Australia. Love your cup and saucer,not sure what date it is though. x

Marjanne said...

my granny had this kind of teacups... your post takes me back in time... she left us more than ten years ago. still miss her... have a nice day!

Micupoftea said...

Hello! I dearly love your blue and white teacup. The color combo is so crisp and pretty! Hard to believe January is half over- thanks for hosting each week. :)
S

suziqu's thread works said...

Oh Terri I found this post just so fascinating. I have never looked that closely at the Willow pattern on a cup or plate until this moment when I will go and check the two Willow pieces that I own.

Thank you for sharing your interpretation of each detail and also the meaning detailed at the end.
So beautiful!
Thank you and love,
Suzy

Betty said...

Your blue teacup is beautiful. My Mother use to have a set of Blue Willow dishes. I always loved them, but they were lost years ago in a flood.

K J D said...

I've always loved the story of the willow pattern since I was little...

Sweet little cup :)

Karen x

Karen said...

Hi Terri,
I also like blue and white transferware but I don't have many teacups. Your teacup really does tell a story and one that is very sad indeed. I had no idea such a tale is in the pattern in the china. Thank you for sharing such an interesting cup and also for hosting with Martha today. I do appreciate your kid words too! Have a wonderful week! Karen

Linda Kunsman said...

What a very interesting story Terri-same with that back stamp. The details are really incredible-I'm so impressed by the fine paintings on such cups and things! Thanks for the great photos. Happy Tea cup Tuesday!

Sandi@ Rose Chintz Cottage said...

Good morning Terri,
I so enjoyed the story painted on the teacup. Blue Willow has always been a favourite and the birdies reminded me of it. I don't have a transferware mark book but I really should have as I am enamoured by all the patterns. Thank you for your visit and your very sweet comment. Yes, I think we do share quite a bit in common. Have a lovely day, my friend.

Hugs,
Sandi

Snap said...

Terri, I love blue and white china and I Blue Willow is my favorite pattern. I've loved it since i was a little kid -- many many many many years ago. who knows why? Happy Tea Day!

Divers and Sundry said...

i love your blue willow cup & saucer. i especially like the pattern inside the cup. thx so much for sharing pictures of the details of the pattern and for looking up and sharing the story. :)

Sugar Lump Studios said...

what a gorgeous cup and only $1.50? I need some shops here like what you have! :) Happy Tuesday!

Martha's Favorites said...

Hi Terri: I love the story on this tea cup. Blue flow cups are amazing. Have a wonderful week my friend. Talk to you soon. Hugs, Martha

Dorthe said...

Oh dear Terri, what wonderful a story... well no ,not happy- but still wonderful to have such a telling made for a teacup and its saucer- or the other way around ,lol. I have alwayes loved the blue china, but it is not easy to find here,....many collects it, so one have to be quick in fleamarketing !!
I will have to see my few dinnerplates for their story !
Thank you for your great post.
Hugs,and kiss ,Dorthe

Denise said...

Hi Terri,

I really enjoyed your blog about your Blue Willow teacup and the beautiful photography. I have one of my own made by Royal Albert and is dated to about 1927 or so. I was intrigued with the design and so did a little research on it. This link is to an article I found on line from 1994 that gives a little more history on the Blue Willow pattern. I love the history behind the teacups! http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5d8zAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TTIHAAAAIBAJ&pg=5569%2C7265864

sophie said...

comme elle est belle!
j'adore les bleu et blanc
belle semaine
bises
sophie

The Charm of Home said...

Oh Terri I didn't know their was a story behind this pattern! How interesting. Lovely cup! Thanks for hosting!
Sherry

FABBY'S LIVING said...

I love the teacup, it reminds me of my red transferware. I love the blue and White as I only have blue and White dinner ware, no teacups. Thanks for the lovely tea party dear Terri.
Hugs,
FABBY

Beth in NEPA said...

I love Blue Willow. We use it every day. In addition to those we have a nice collection of very vintage blue willow, most coming from England, a few from the US, a few Japan and even a couple from Holland. Thanks for sharing yours.

highheeledlife said...

Terri Thanks for hosting and sharing another beautiful teacup with us.Loving the story that is found in the cup's details. Hugs and blessings, C. (HHL)

Jackie said...

Terri,
I love your post! Your fresh way of looking at the art on the dishes was so fascinating- and good reading never makes for a long story! hugs & Thank you ")

sharon said...

Well that was a fabulous with a wonderful story and great information! I would love to hear another! And this is my all time favorite cup!

Christine LeFever said...

I love transferware dishes. I own many of them, although not a lot of the Blue Willow Pagoda. I have light blue and pink and mulberry and especially the brown. The imperfections are what make it perfect for me. I loved your typo of "bit them goodbye". Very interesting the real story behind the design. Unrequited love does take its tole.

Thank you for all that good info, Terri. It pays to research.

Christine LeFever said...

I have to add that I quite agree with Sugar Lump Studios on the price! It appears that the earlier things just aren't commanding great attention anymore. It's practically a buyer's market for them out west. I pick these things up too for that sort of price, but never stop marveling about it. I love anything pretty much from the 19th. century. There are many lovely things from the 20th., but my heart isn't there yet.

Anonymous said...

Wow! A great Blue Willow piece - and I have never seen that particular back stamp. I was glad you finally found the story. Actually, I believe the two birds are the lovers who are turned into the birds at some point. There is a children's book about this called "The Blue Willow Pattern Story" at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Willow-Pattern-Story-North-South-Paperback/dp/1558584137/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1390344280&sr=8-6&keywords=The+Blue+Willow+Story
Enjoy!
Kathy

Lucille said...

It certainly is a beautiful set! I love blue and white transferware, my favourite! I love the patterns of the trees and birds. Thank you for sharing all this. I had no idea one could study the meaning behind a transferware pattern!

Antiques And Teacups said...

Hi Terri. Blue Willow & variations are so wonderful! And the story is always so charming. As you know, the set was made By Ridgways at the Bedford Works, The set was made right around 1890-1891 because of the old quiver mark...it's not a bird but a bow and quiver full of arrows...combined with England that went on in the period. The quiver changed soon after with 2 versions, so that's the date of yours. The marks you speak about are called kiln dust. Due to the type of china, when it was fired it was susceptible to bits of dust and glaze particles being released and blowing around causing specks, dimples and popping glaze bubbles. Things changed in the formulas not long after and it isn't seen as much. A beauty!I LOVE it!
Ruth

relevanttealeaf said...

What a lovely Blue Willow teacup, Terri, and you bought it at a great price! The backstamp is very interesting. ~ Phyllis

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Where did you get this cup? my thrift store never carries any cups like this. what a deal great story too.susie

Bella's Rose Cottage said...

Hi Terri,
What a lovely cup and what a great deal you found!! How fun to have an entire story on a cup...
The lilacs really just taste like sugar :-)
Hugs,
Bella

xinex said...

I've always loved that pattern, Terri, it is so classic. I still have a do a tablescape with mine...Christine

Luján Fraix said...

Hola Terri
Adoro las tazas azules y blancas con todo ese decorado y su historia. Son tantos años... uno no sabe qué llevo al creador de ella a inspirarse tanto en los detalles.
Bonita historia nos relatas.
Un beso grande querida amiga.

Tea in the Library said...

The backstamp and story behind the pattern are very interesting. Thanks for all the detailed photos! Thanks for hosting. Have a great week!

Faith Hope and Cherrytea said...

lovely blue & white share - enjoy many cups of tea in it!

Jodee said...

Beautiful details. My parents had similar cups ... so many memories!

Jann said...

I loved your post, and the teacup and saucer are beautiful!

Marie Lost Bird Studio said...

What a lovely cup and such a bargain. TFS. Have a lovely weekend.
Hugs,
Marie

Createology said...

Blue and White is so classic and one of my very favorites. This cup and saucer is sweet until I read the backstory and then it becomes very sad. Let us sip some tea and soothe our souls dear...

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