A Beautiful 8" Serving Bowl by, W. Ridgway & Co. Pattern: Blue Willow

Forauction this week I offer you this Beautiful Serving Bowl by, W. Ridgway & Co. Made in England Pattern: Blue Willow Condition: Good, No chips, cracks or crazing Dimensions: 8 1/4" x 6 3/4" x 1 3/4". Please see the excellent photos below for full item detail and condition. Please email with any questions. Thank you Legend behind the pattern In order to promote sales of Minton's Willow pattern, various stories were invented based on the elements of the design. The most famous story usually runs as described below. The story is English in origin, and has no links to China. The Romantic Fable: Once there was a wealthy Mandarin, who had a beautiful daughter (Koong-se). She had fallen in love with her father's humble accounting assistant (Chang), angering her father. (It was inappropriate for them to marry due to their difference in social class.) He dismissed the young man and built a high fence around his house to keep the lovers apart. The Mandarin was planning for his daughter to marry a powerful Duke. The Duke arrived by boat to claim his bride, bearing a box of jewels as a gift. The wedding was to take place on the day the blossom fell from the willow tree. On the eve of the daughter's wedding to the Duke, the young accountant, disguised as a servant, slipped into the palace unnoticed. As the lovers escaped with the jewels, the alarm was raised. They ran over a bridge, chased by the Mandarin, whip in hand. They eventually escaped on the Duke's ship to the safety of a secluded island, where they lived happily for years. But one day, the Duke learned of their refuge. Hungry for revenge, he sent soldiers, who captured the lovers and put them to death. The gods, moved by their plight, transformed the lovers into a pair of doves (possibly a later addition to the tale, since the birds do not appear on the earliest willow pattern plates). Cultural impact of the story: The story of the willow pattern was turned into a comic opera in 1901 called The Willow Pattern. It was also told in a 1914 silent film called Story of the Willow Pattern. Robert van Gulik also used some of the idea in his Chinese detective novel The Willow Pattern. In 1992, Barry Purves made a short animated film relating the story, transplanted to Japan and entitled Screen Play. and know that I am 100% committed to your satisfaction. We charge a minimal handling fee to cover the cost of wrap, gas and often oversized boxes. the rest of the shipping is auto calculated by the USPS shipping calculator. 1 lb. WK157P10000 Line 09 All items are packed securely and sent with delivery confirmation. SILVER, STERLING SILVER AND SILVER PLATE: All pieces have been lightly cleaned and I leave it up to the new owner to complete the polishing. Please DO NOT expect pre-owned items to be new, unless stated in the description. We always try to describe items fully, but with pre-owned items, minor details may be missed. Our items are authentic, if you have the item authenticated and we have made an error, please send a copy of the authentication or a written statement on letterhead from the store or manufacturer with their contact information (authenticator's name and number). read more