With the rise of newly formed clubs and more and more conventions, Blue Willow china has found new followers, or “Willowers,” as collectors call themselves. The original Willow pattern was ...

In either case, “blue plate” was associated with good food, cheap food, or a combination of both. The phrase took on greater meaning during the Great Depression, when budgets were stretched thin.

Until 1905, most Blue Willow available in the United States was imported from England, then the Buffalo Pottery of Buffalo, N.Y., began making and marketing the pattern, Berndt says.

The Willow Pattern is a by-product of this, designed in 1780 by Minton and intended to add a touch of Oriental magic to cheaper earthenware and thereby make it more widely available.

THE WILLOW PATTERN PLATE runs on Mondays through Fridays from 22 February - 24 March at 10:30, with additional shows on 27 February and 5 March at 17:00. Tickets, ranging in price from R60 - R80 ...