Homer Laughlin Blue Willow Dinnerware Collection
Our Blue Willow pattern carries forward a centuries-old tradition in transferware, reimagined on American-made vitrified china. Every piece features the iconic cobalt blue scene — the willow tree, pagoda, bridge, and birds in flight — applied through our time-honored underglaze transfer process. We’ve been crafting this pattern in our Newell, West Virginia pottery since 1903, using high-fired vitreous china that resists chipping and crazing.
Blue Willow works beautifully as both an everyday table and a formal service. The 9-inch dinner plate, 7-inch salad plate, and coordinating bowls stack neatly in modern cabinets while the pattern itself brings instant heritage to any table setting. Each piece is lead-free, microwave-safe, and dishwasher-durable.
Pattern & construction details
The Blue Willow Pattern Story
The Blue Willow design traces its roots to 18th-century England, where potters adapted Chinese export porcelain motifs for European markets. Our version honors that lineage while meeting modern American table needs. The scene tells a romantic tale — a mandarin’s daughter fleeing with her father’s secretary, transformed into doves above the willow tree — though we’ve always appreciated it simply as a beautifully balanced composition.
We apply the pattern using copper plate transfers, a technique unchanged since our early decades. The cobalt oxide sits beneath the glaze, protected from wear and fading. Unlike surface-printed patterns, homer laughlin blue willow imagery won’t scratch off with knife marks or fade in the dishwasher. The same plate you use today will look identical after five hundred wash cycles.
Materials & Firing Process
Every piece begins as a blend of kaolin clay, feldspar, and silica — the same raw materials we’ve sourced from regional deposits for over a century. We shape the forms through jiggering and pressing, then fire them twice. The first bisque firing at 1900°F hardens the clay body. After the blue transfer is applied and the clear glaze brushed on, we fire again at 2400°F.
That final high-fire temperature vitrifies the clay — the particles literally fuse into a glass-like matrix. The result is a china body that’s non-porous, stain-resistant, and far more durable than earthenware or low-fire ceramics. Our Blue Willow pieces have survived decades in restaurant service, which is why so many collectors prize vintage examples alongside new production.
Sizing & Table Coordination
Standard Place Setting
A five-piece setting includes a 9-inch dinner plate, 7-inch salad/dessert plate, 6-inch bread plate, 12-ounce cup, and matching saucer. The dinner plate footprint fits standard 12-inch chargers, and the salad plate doubles as a dessert course. All plates feature a gently sloped rim that frames the central willow scene.
Serving & Specialty Pieces
We offer oval platters in 11-inch and 13-inch sizes, a lidded tureen, gravy boat with attached underplate, and round vegetable bowls. The 36-ounce teapot serves four to six cups. Many customers build their service gradually, starting with place settings and adding serving pieces as needed. The pattern’s longevity means replacement pieces remain available — a stark contrast to limited-run china patterns that disappear after a single season.
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Homer Laughlin Blue Willow Questions
Yes, all pieces are dishwasher-safe and microwave-safe. The cobalt blue pattern sits beneath the glaze rather than on top of it, so it won’t fade or wear off in automatic dishwashers. The vitrified china body tolerates microwave heating without cracking. You can also use these pieces in conventional ovens up to 350°F for warming.
Avoid direct stovetop contact and don’t expose the china to open flame. For longest life, we recommend placing cups and delicate items on the top dishwasher rack, though the bottom rack won’t damage the pattern.
Check the backstamp on the underside of each piece. Homer Laughlin marks include the company name, often with a date code. Between 1900 and 1960, we used a letter-number system where the letter indicates the month and the final two digits show the year.
Our Blue Willow backstamp also typically includes the words ‘Made in USA’ or ‘Made in America.’ The vitrified china body is bright white rather than cream or ivory. If the piece feels lightweight or the pattern looks blurry, it’s likely an import rather than genuine Homer Laughlin production.
Yes, we sell all components as open stock in addition to boxed place settings. You can order individual dinner plates, salad plates, bowls, cups, or saucers to replace broken pieces or expand your service. Because we’ve produced this pattern continuously since 1903 with consistent formulations, new pieces will match vintage sets.
Serving pieces including platters, gravy boats, and vegetable bowls are also available individually. This lets you build your collection gradually rather than committing to a full 40-piece set up front.
Our Blue Willow is made from vitrified china fired at 2400°F, which creates a non-porous, glass-like body far more durable than typical earthenware or low-fire ceramics. The cobalt pattern is applied as an underglaze transfer that sits beneath the clear glaze, protecting it from wear.
We manufacture every piece in Newell, West Virginia using regional clay deposits and century-old copper transfer plates. The consistent quality control and deeper firing mean better resistance to chipping, staining, and thermal shock compared to mass-market imports. You’re also supporting American manufacturing jobs rather than overseas factories.
Yes, all current Homer Laughlin production uses lead-free glazes that meet or exceed FDA standards for food contact surfaces. The cobalt blue colorant is a stable oxide that doesn’t leach into food or beverages. We’ve used lead-free formulations exclusively since the 1990s.
Vintage pieces made before 1990 may contain trace lead in the glaze, though levels were generally low even then. If you’re using heirloom pieces and want absolute certainty, home lead-test swabs are available at hardware stores.
We recommend eight place settings for a family of four — double your household size. This gives you enough pieces for a full table plus extras in the dishwasher or cabinet. With eight settings, you can host small dinner parties without washing dishes mid-meal.
If you entertain frequently or prefer to run the dishwasher only when completely full, twelve place settings provides comfortable breathing room. Remember that you can always start with four or six settings and add more later, since the homer laughlin blue willow pattern remains in continuous production.
Start with an oval platter for main courses and a round vegetable bowl for sides. The 13-inch platter handles a roasted chicken or small turkey, while the 11-inch size works for fish or sliced meats. A gravy boat with attached underplate is useful if you serve traditional dinners.
From there, consider a lidded tureen for soups or stews, a second vegetable bowl for holiday meals when you’re serving multiple sides, and a teapot if you drink hot tea. Build gradually based on how you actually cook and entertain rather than buying a full complement of serving pieces you may rarely use.