Price Guide to Antiques & Collectables
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Blue and White Transferware Gravy Boats and Creamer Set

A group of four blue and white Transferwares, three gravy boats and a creamer, 19th to 20th century, two items by Spode, two unmarked, the gravy boats of typical form, including a Spode Italian boat and another of similar design but unmarked; a Willow Pattern boat; and a later globular Spode jug in Italian design; Spode marks to two items, Spode gravy boat A/F. Height 3.94 in. Width 7.09 in. And smaller

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  • Willow Pattern - Although several potteries including Minton and Spode claim credit for design of the Willow pattern, the design is generally attributed to Thomas Turner of Caughley Porcelain Works in Shropshire, about 1780.

    Whilst borrowing from the Chinese style, it was not a copy of a Chinese pattern.

    The blue-and-white chinaware on which it appeared became immensely popular and the design was reproduced with variations by many English and European factories including Royal Worcester, Spode, Adams, Wedgwood, Davenport, Clews, Leeds and Swansea.

    It was even copied in Asia, where it is still produced, with the wares being exported to Western countries.

    The pattern portrays the garden of a rich mandarin whose young daughter elopes with his secretary. The lovers, overtaken on the bridge by her father, are transformed by the gods into birds and flutter beyond his reach. The scene with its willow tree usually covers the central part of a plate, dish, or bowl, with a border of butterflies, a fret, or other motif.

    Traditional Willow pattern is in cobalt blue on white, though very occasionally other colours are used, such as purple or brown. The main part of the object contains the trees, houses, bridge, figures, and birds of the story and there is usually a fairly abstract pattern around the extremities.
  • A/f, as Inspected - The letters "A/F" or "as inspected" as part of a description is the cataloguer's shorthand for "all faults" or "as found", meaning the item has some type of damage or deficiency, it is of uncertain date or provenance, and/or that the seller takes no responsibility for the completeness of the item or the accuracy of the description.

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A group of four blue and white Transferwares, three gravy boats…