The Willow pattern designed by Burleigh of Middleport is unique to the Mackintosh at the Willow and is based on original pieces still held in collections and from photo analysis. Burleigh is the only remaining pottery to use the original tissue transfer method of printing and all pieces are handcrafted using traditional techniques.
From what we know, Miss Cranston granted Charles Rennie Mackintosh full artistic freedom in the design for 217 Sauchiehall Street. This resulted in the creation of a design concept unbridled by the artistic conventions of the time and ultimately led to the powerfully fantastical interior landscape of Mackintosh at the Willow. Mackintosh designed every part of the tearooms including the cutlery and the waitress’s uniforms, but there was one element that Miss Cranston did insist upon and that was the use of the willow print china. There are a few possible reasons for this. Firstly, it seems that this crockery was very much a staple for the patron, being used in her other three venues.
Secondly, the tearooms would have been quite a shock to the system for many guests of 1903 with its unique design. Not only was this other-worldly environment visually very alien to the viewer, who would have been used to more dark, Victorian inspired interiors, but it would have also been one of the only places to see electricity at the time.
In 1903 only around 2% of the population would have had electricity so the lights themselves would been quite the spectacle. In this space the visitor would find the familiar form of the willow pattern china quite grounding amongst the other strange decorations on display. Willow pattern was very popular at this time and was used in many households, so it would have been a homely touch to the décor of the tearooms. This also fits the idea that the tearooms were created to hold five distinctly different spaces within the one building to cater to all tastes. There would have literally been a place for everyone.
This model, alongside the familial crockery adorning each table, would have been implemented so that guests would be sure to feel welcome amongst the otherwise strange surroundings of the tearooms. Willow pattern china and other chinoiserie patterned decorative objects were a western interpretation of East Asian artworks, inspired at this time in Britain by the import of Chinese ceramics and becoming most fashionable at the end of the 18th century. This coincided with the realisation of mass production techniques such as engraved and printed glaze transfers, so that factories could standardise their products. To further increase the popularity of the willow pattern, who’s original design was most likely based on Thomas Minton’s work designed in 1780, a story was developed to help captivate potential customers. This was a story of forbidden love that was based on an old fairy tale from Japan and another version from China about two lovers who could only meet once a year when certain stars aligned. The fable was altered to tell the following tale, who’s characters can be identified in the pattern.
A wealthy mans daughter fell in love with their accountant which was deemed inappropriate due to their social statuses. She was said to be betrothed to a Duke who she was to be sent away to marry when the first blossoms fell from the willow tree. The Duke arrived on a boat carrying a large box full of jewels as a wedding present. The father had built walls to keep the accountant and his daughter apart, but the accountant managed to get past these walls by disguising himself as one of their servants. The daughter escaped with the accountant on the Dukes boat, taking with them the box of jewels. They sailed to an island where they remained happily for some time, until the Duke finally learned of their location and sent his guards to put them to death. The couple were discovered and killed but the gods took pity on them and transformed their souls into doves so that they may be together.
The tales origins come from the legend of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi, who are represented by the stars Vega and Altair. According to legend, the Milky Way separates these lovers, and they can meet only once a year on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month of the lunisolar calendar.
The star Vega is the brightest star in the northern constellation of Lyra, and Altair is the brightest star in the constellation of Aquila and the twelfth brightest star in the night sky. Aquila is Latin for 'eagle' and it represents the bird that carried Zeus/Jupiter’s thunderbolts in Greek-Roman mythology.
The constellation Lyra was often represented on star maps as a vulture or an eagle carrying a lyre, so it could be suggested that this is where the two birds from the patter originate from. No matter how one interprets the history and symbolism of the willow pattern china, it is yet another fascinating feature of the tearooms and adds to the collection of willow symbolism.