A Pair of Johnson Brothers Willow Pattern Ironstone Plates

A pair of circular ironstone dinner plates manufactured by Johnson Brothers in Staffordshire, England. Each plate is decorated with the traditional Willow pattern in underglaze blue transfer-print. The central scene depicts a Chinoiserie landscape including pagodas, a bridge with three figures, a boat, and two birds in flight. The rim features a complex geometric and floral border characteristic of this pattern. The reverse of each plate bears a printed black backmark featuring a crown symbol above the word WILLOW, followed by Johnson Bros England. The mark also includes the text: ALL DECORATION UNDER THE GLAZE PERMANENT & ACID RESISTING COLOURS A GENUINE HAND ENGRAVING IRONSTONE.

A 1 Euro coin is included in the images for scale.