The Willow Pattern Story
A piece of willow pattern china holds the forbidden love story of Koong Shee and Chang.
My mother always had an incredible collection of plates. They had beautiful patterns, lovely creatures, and intricate detail that fascinated and inspired me as a child. Allan Drummond captures one story that came out of the willow pattern design, popularized on tableware in the 1800s in Europe.
The story of Koong Shee and Chang is a bittersweet romance forbidden by Koong Shee’s father, but the two lovers cannot be kept apart. The illustrations follow the imagery traditionally seen on willow pattern china. Drummond has carefully and brilliantly crafted pictures that aren’t static or stuffy. This book brings back lovely childhood memories of looking through my mother’s wonderful collection of plates and creating my own stories about them.
