EIT England Blue Willow Ceramic Tea Cup and Saucer

At 7 cm tall and 11 cm wide across the saucer, this EIT England Blue Willow ceramic tea cup and saucer, with its ornate Blue Willow transfer landscape and carefully shaped handle, is a well-made 20th-century example of the Blue Willow tradition in English transferware, the ornate quality of the EIT England version of the pattern giving the cup and saucer a decorative richness that rewards close examination.

Made by EIT England, an English transferware manufacturer of the 20th century, this tea cup and saucer is decorated with the Blue Willow pattern, one of the most enduringly popular and widely produced patterns in English transferware since its introduction in the late 18th century. The Blue Willow pattern, with its Chinese-inspired landscape of willow trees, pagodas, bridges, and birds, was developed by English potters in the 1780s as an interpretation of Chinese blue and white porcelain decoration, and it has been produced continuously by English potteries ever since. The EIT England version of the pattern, which is noted for the ornate quality of its transfer printing and the care with which the landscape is rendered across the curved surfaces of the cup and saucer, gives the pieces a decorative richness that distinguishes them from the more restrained versions of the pattern produced by other manufacturers. The piece is in very good condition throughout.

• Maker: EIT England
• Pattern: Blue Willow
• Dimensions: 7 cm (H) x 11 cm (W)
• Condition: Very Good
• Features: Ornate Blue Willow transfer landscape, carefully shaped handle, cup and saucer set
• Period: 20th century
• SKU: SKU-00242

A charming piece of English blue and white transferware. Pairs naturally with the EIT England dinner plate (SKU-00247), the Churchill Blue Willow tea cup and saucer (SKU-00241), and the wider Blue Willow collection.