The Story of Blue Willow

I inherited my mother's Blue Willow china. She collected it for years (along with lots of other things) and we were always on the hunt at flea markets, estate sales, auctions and tag sales trying to find another "piece" to add to her ever growing collection. I didn't realize til I started packing it up to bring home how many pieces she had.

I never considered myself a "blue" person but Mama loved it so much and I couldn't bear to sell it so I ended doing my dining room in blue and to be honest I love it now. And it brings back so many happy memories of me and Mama "junking" together.

There is a really neat story to the pattern on the china....here it is:

"Long ago, in the days when China was ruled by emperors, a Chinese manderin, Tso Ling, lived in the magnificent pagoda under the branches of the apple tree on the right of the bridge, over which droops the famous willow tree, and in front of which is seen the graceful lines of the fence. Tso Ling was the father of a beautiful girl, Kwang-se, who was the promised bride of an old but wealthy merchant. The girl, however, fell in love with Chang, her father’s clerk. The lovers eloped across the sea to the cottage on the island. The mandarin pursued and caught the lovers and was about to have them killed when the gods transformed them into a pair of turtle doves. These are seen gazing into each other’s eyes at the top of the design."