Willow Pattern Ceramics and Stories of ‘Other’

The pattern is one of North Staffordshire’s most iconic and globally recognised ceramic designs. Originating around 1790 and inspired by Chinese porcelain, the Willow pattern became a worldwide commodity through British adaptation and mass production, embedding itself firmly in global visual and material culture.

Using the Willow pattern as a lens, this exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the often paradoxical history of Chinese influence on British ceramic traditions. It offers insights into how 18th and 19th century British potters imitated and adapted Chinese forms, imagery, and technologies during North Staffordshire’s rise as a global centre of ceramic production.

Beyond its decorative appeal, however, the Willow pattern also became a site of cultural reinterpretation. Its motifs were reshaped to suit Western tastes and narratives, contributing to a romanticized, and often distorted vision of China. Literary fabrications such as The Willow Pattern
Story, along with the pattern’s use in political propaganda, reflect its influential role in constructing an imagined ‘Orient’ during the era of British imperial expansion.

This exhibition traces the pattern’s complex cultural journey, from early stylistic adaptations of Chinese porcelain to its somewhat ironic return through outsourcing to Chinese manufacturers in the late 20th century. Political cartoons that appropriated the familiar imagery of the Willow pattern, are presented to critically examine how popular visual media that propagated anti-Chinese sentiment shaped attitudes towards race, immigration, and cultural representation in the 19th century.
The exhibition assembles objects from regional museums and private collections, commentary from a range of scholars, and contemporary artistic responses that explore cultural appropriation, globalization, and artistic reinvention across three centuries.

Throughout the exhibition period, there will be scheduled performances by ceramic master artisans from China and Stoke-on-Trent, working in collaboration with artist Neil Brownsword exploring themes of cultural slippage and symbolic repatriation.

Willow Pattern Ceramics and Stories of ‘Other’ is curated by Professor Tiejun Hou, Jingdezhen Ceramic University and Professor Neil Brownsword, University of Staffordshire. Following our recent accolade as World Craft City, this exhibition marks the beginning of collaborations between two historic centres of ceramic production - Stoke-on-Trent and Jingdezhen, China.

Supported by
Arts Council England, Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Spode Museum Trust, The Holdway Collection, University of Staffordshire, Jingdezhen Ceramic University, The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, and Dore and Rees.