Willow Pattern

The willow pattern that pictures a bridge, three figures, birds, trees, and a Chinese landscape was first introduced to England in 1780 by Thomas Turner at the Caughley Pottery Works. It was inspired by a similar Chinese design without figures on the bridge. (Early English versions show two or three figures, while some of the […]

Determining The Age Of Famille Rose

The age of the Famille Rose porcelains can be determined by color and glaze. A 1982 exhibit of Famille Rose at the China Trade Museum in Milton, Massachusetts, showed the early 1760s examples had a thick, opaque, muddy mauve pink glaze. By the 1730s, the glaze was opaque rose pink often mixed with white and […]

Rose Palette Porcelains

Famille Rose (rose family) porcelain is a five-color Chinese porcelain that used rose as its predominant color. Three different patterns of Famille Rose are seen for sale: Rose Medallion, Rose Mandarin, and Rose Canton. All of the patterns have four or more panels of decorations around a central medallion and a background design of tree […]

Special Designs

Chinese export porcelain was made for many markets, and each country favored special designs. The English ordered dinnerware called armorial china which had a family’s coat of arms or crest emblazoned in the center of each plate. It was made to order in China and sent by ship to England. When a piece was broken, […]