The Willow Pattern
Preserved but no longer current.
A favourite design for blue china plates, imitating (but not copying) the Chinese style of porcelain decoration. It was introduced into England by Thomas Turner of Caughley about 1780, when the craze for things Chinese was at its height.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Willow Pattern” mean?
A favourite design for blue china plates, imitating (but not copying) the Chinese style of porcelain decoration. It was introduced into England by Thomas Turner of Caughley about 1780, when the craze for things Chinese was at its height.
Is “The Willow Pattern” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.