Huxinting (湖心亭), 'The Willow Pattern Tea House', Shanghai (上海)

Huxinting (湖心亭), 'The Willow Pattern Tea House', Shanghai (上海)

Collection

Vacher-Hilditch

Identifier

VH02-144

Notes

University of Bristol - Historical Photographs of China reference number: VH02-144. Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution reference: L04357-062a. Huxinting or Woo Sing Ding (湖心亭), Old City, Shanghai. This tea house, dubbed 'The Willow Pattern Tea House' by foreigners due to its resemblance to a favourite English crockery design, is approached by a zigzag bridge (The Nine Curve Bridge). Huxinting may have been one of the inspirations for part of the imaginary scene depicted on willow-pattern crockery. This popular crockery design was developed by Thomas Turner in Shropshire, England in 1780. "South China is evidently the home of the story of the willow pattern which used to be so commonly painted on English china, for here the children's clothes, pinafores and ribbons are all embroidered with silk in this pattern." (Source: Kate Pruen 'The Provinces of Western China', 1906). See also Bk02-03, Bk03-04, Bk05-01, BL-s088, HR01-107, OH01-048, OH01-049, Pe01-048, RA-m010, VH02-133 and Wr-s100.

Caption in album or on mount

Tea Shop in Tea Gardens - Shanghae

Location

Shanghai

Estimated Date

1850s

Material

Paper

Media

Black and white photograph

Repository

Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution, Bath

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