Ashworth | Willow (Gaudy, 2 man) | B9447 | Dinner Plate

I've grown up next to blue willow, but it took me years to discover gaudy willow*, a beautiful variant of willow transferware painted with coloured enamel. This item has all the necessary elements for willow - the bridge (with two men), the two birds, the island with the house, the boat,the main tea house, and two trees which represent the willow and the orange/apple tree. 

This plate is one of the most famous of the gaudys :). It's by Ashworth Brothers, pattern B9447 (which is marked on the back). Like Booths, whose famous blue willow pattern was once 9072, and then later A8025, B9447 is the later variant of this pattern (previously called B1365). Of course later is a relative term, since the impression on the back of this plate dates it to 1903 (1103 or November 1903).

The Ashworth Bros traded under that name from 1891 to 1968 when they renamed themselves Mason's Ironstone China Ltd. (Why you may ask, well in 1861 Ashworth obtained the original Mason Ironstone designs and moulds and operated as Masons alongside their initial brand. Thus you'll find this pattern also on Masons moulds - see the last picture for a Masons pitcher in gaudy willow). 

*Being British, apparently I'm supposed to call it coloured willow, but really, I can't use that term so I'm going with the American gaudy.