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Saturday, December 22, 2007

Belleek Newslettre (# 11.4)

** IN FONDEST MEMORY **

I received the following devastating news on 24-Oct-07 !!

Jeanne Chartier was a very fond friend of mine and will
be greatly missed in our Belleek community !! For others
who have not seen this prior, I’m enclosing her son Paul’s
succinct eulogy of her passing :

“It is with great sadness that I tell you that my Mom died
yesterday in a car accident. She and my Dad were passengers
in the back seat of a van which ran off the road and struck
a tree. She died instantly.

“If you knew my Mom well you knew her spirit, fiestyness,
language, love of family, love for her grandkids, enduring
love for her husband, my Dad who is a sweet and kind man,
passion for Irish Belleek...and staunch conservatism.
She was truly one of a kind!

“This note is being sent to the four corners of the world
to all friends my Mom. She would consistently send out
mass e-mails, forward funny and, maybe not so funny notes,
but she included you in her daily activity and thoughts.
I'm not so sure my Dad is too e-mail friendly and I'm
happy to relay anything to him you wish.

“My Mom will be cremated, no other definite plans have
been made regarding a memorial service but she and my Dad
never would want to inconvenience anyone so traveling
here isn't expected.

“Thank you for your part in the life of my Mom...I know
I'll miss her greatly!"

Paul Chartier
pauldchartier@insightbb.com

If any of her Belleeker friends would like to contact
her husband, Ed, and don’t have her telephone number,
please establish contact via their son Paul at the above
E-mail ID !!

** BABY NEW YEAR !!

A little Searching around the Internet and I discouvered :

“The custom of using a baby to symbolize the New Year
began in Greece around 600 B.C. The Greeks celebrated
their God of Wine, Dionysus, by parading a baby in a
basket to represent the annual rebirth of Dionysus as
the spirit of fertility. The early Egyptians also used
the baby as a symbol of rebirth.

“Although the early Christians denounced the practice of
using a baby as being pagan in nature, its significance
as a personification of rebirth later forced the Church
to reevaluate its position. Eventually, it was decreed
that Church members would be permitted to celebrate the
New Year using a symbolic baby, provided it illustrated
the birth of the baby Jesus.

“The use of a baby's image as a banner for New Year
celebrations was brought to America by the Germans, who
had used the effigy since the Fourteenth Century.”

Reference (another fine Site !!) :
http://www.novareinna.com/index.html 

For my part, I would like to nominate Baby Lincoln as
Baby New Year 2008 !!




    Here’s Precious Little Lincoln at about 8 Months in his ‘onesie’ !!

AND I PERSONALLY would like to wish ALL Belleekers out
there the MOST JOYFUL and PROSPEROUS New Year !!

** FINAL SALE !! **

You have ONLY DAYS LEFT !!

Berdell Dickinson’s nephew has informed me that he’s
offering ALL remaining Belleek in Berdell’s collection
according to the following FANTISTIC sale terms !! As
you receive this, his FINAL Sale IS ENDING !! SO, you
should immediately take a look so not to miss out on
that special bargain !!

This is your last chance to make these beautiful Belleek
items your own. Our prices will never be lower. These
sale prices will only be available through the holidays;
then the items will no longer be for sale and our
Web Site will be closed.

All remaining Belleek items in Berdell Dickinson’s
collection are closing out at 50% off the original prices
listed in this web site. You need to select your favorites
now; they will go quickly at these prices.

These discounts are subject to all other terms stated on
this web site. All sales are “as is”, “where is” and all
sales are final; no returns or refunds.

You may view and purchase items directly at the following
Site :

     Berdell Dickinson Auction !!

Please browse this collection. You will find many rare
and desirable items at an extraordinary value. There is
provision on the site to forward any questions you may
have regarding any item. Enjoy shopping for a fine
addition to your Belleek collection.”

REMEMBER, this is a SALE, NOT an Auction !! It will be
STRICKLY ‘first come, first serve’ !! There were
originally, approximately 240 Lots, offering something
for everyone !!

Most items have been SOLD, BUT if you see a Lot that’s
‘PENDING’ you may still indicate a desire to purchase it
and you will be put on a first-come offer list for that
Lot(s) !!

PLEASE, FORWARD (FWD) this E-mail to ALL your Belleeker
friends and associates so EVERYONE has an opportunity to
participate in this marvelous sale !! THANKS !!

** 2009 CONVENTION !!

YES, it’s just around the corner, at least the way I
procrastinate !! I’ve been in contact with the organizing
Belleekers for our upcoming 2009 Convention and they
promise another spectacular affair !!

I’ve not got any specifics as yet, BUT as soon as I
receive any confirmations I’ll be passing the information
on to everyone !!

SO, for now, this space is RESERVED for Convention 2009 !!

** THE BIGGEST AND BADDEST !!

I discouvered this Internet Site while Surfing around
one day and thought that some of you Belleekers might
find it amusing ??

http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffat
thelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/first.html

There are REALLY some amazing facts at this Site !!

ENJOY your discouveries !!

** NEWSLETTRE ARCHIVES !!

I’ve made a minor change to my Newslettre Archives Site,
where you may read thru ALL past issues of my Newslettre !!
I’ve reversed the listing format, so to have the most
recent Newslettres listed first instead of at the end
of my list !! This will make locating the more recent
articles a bit quicker !! THANKS !!

** E-BAY TEAPOT AUCTION !!

There was a WEE BIT of concern during our splendid 2007
Convention as several of our attending members were
interested in a particular Belleek Tea Pot being offered
on E-Bay !!

BUT, this is another story for another time with another
picture in another dimension !! THAT TIME IS NOW !!

** RING HANDLE IVORY WARE !!

I just finished a walk around my condominium, actually a
break, and discouvered that one of my Ring Handle Ivory
Ware Cups and Saucers I still have from my EARLY Belleek
collecting days !!

Belleek’s Ring Handle Ware is probably one of the more
modest if not THE MOST basic of ALL Belleek ware patterns !!
In its native form, the ware is very vague, with smooth
surfaces and lacking in frills such as fancy feet and
finials !! The most complex component of its design is
its circular handle, thus, providing the pattern name of
Ring Handle !! The Ivory nomenclature stems from its
ABSOLUTE basic ivory colour when its void of decoration !!

Fortunately, it’s this plainness that attracts its
adornment !! The natural smooth surfaces shout out for
decoration and that’s precisely what Belleek’s painters
and designers did with most of this ware !!

If you glance thru any of your reference books and
materials, you will discouver that Belleek’s craft people
utilized this pattern for decoration ranging from simple
painted bands of colour and various design including
Celtic and Masonic, crested coat of arms, arrangements
of flowers, scenic wild fowl and supplementary designs
to a MOST famous Tea Set commissioned by Dr. O. Ternan
and painted by Eugene Sheerin !!

But, like usual, I digress from our story !! Over the
years, and it’s been 36 now, of my collecting, I’ve
accumulated what I consider a rather nice assemblage of
examples of Ring Handle Ivory Ware !! I have a couple
Crested Cups and Saucers, another Cup/Saucer and Side
Plate with a Bittern or Crane finely decorating them and
recently acquired a Scenic Cup and Saucer attributed to
Eugene Sheerin !!

But my main love of Ring Handle Ivory Ware decoration
is the painted bouquets, consisting of Convolvulus and
Dog Rose Flowers, sometimes referred to as Limoges
Decoration, which, is possibly a misnomer !!

Within this particular design and decoration, I have
accumulated several Coffee Cups/Saucers, a Tea Cup/Saucer,
a pair of Cake Plates, an Egg Cup, a Cream and Sugar,
Covered Muffin Dish, several Side Plates and FINALLY,
THE Tea Pot !!

Prior to our 2007 Convention, a chap in Scotland listed,
on E-Bay his Limoges Tea Pot at Auction !! Undaunted, I
attended our Convention and begin discussing THIS Tea Pot
with whom I considered other primary and compulsory
bidders !! As the bidding would terminate on the Monday
following Convention, I was obligated to leave my ‘best’
bid as I had NO concept concerning my exact whereabouts
in pointing me at any moment past Convention end !!
Leaving my profusely absurd bid, I was VERY fortunate
to discouver, that upon returning from dinner Monday
evening, that I was the fortunate bidder by a SLIM margin
of £10 !! I laboured the remainder of Monday evening
arranging for proper payment along with shipment and
FULL insurance !! My PRIZED Tea Pot ‘followed’ me home
and arrived at my doorstep only several days past my
return !!

A Belleeker friend of mine was excited to examine my new
treasure and she visited one afternoon to view it !!
Following our Stroke-on-Trent Convention, I had purchased
a Limoges Side Plate for her collection, but she turned
it down as she didn’t appreciate the superb decoration at
that moment ?? NO WORRY, JUST another addition for my
collection !! AND, YES, it’s NO longer for sale !!

In any case, following a brief examination of my Tea Pot,
she remarked that the ‘multi-dimensional’ painting created
a decoration MUCH more attractive and desirable to her !!
By multi-dimensional she was referring to the decoration
on the rounded sides of the Tea Pot as opposed to an
example on a one dimensional surface like a Tea Saucer
or Plate !!

If you are fortunate to possess any Ring Handle Ware in
your collection, you will note that a significant portion
of the decoration is applied in a heavy enamel ceramic
paint, facilitating the ‘raised’ effect of the decoration
which, apparently produces a perceived lifelike appearance !!

There DOES exist, at least in the 1904 Belleek Catalogue,
a picture of a Tray in Ring Handle Ivory Ware !! BUT, I’ve
yet to obtain the privilege of ever viewing one in person !!
Well, I guess that’s ANOTHER 20 year quest ??

 

              Here we see examples of the decoration
          on both a flat surface, i.e., single dimension,
              on the Tea Saucer and a ‘simple’ curved,
                i.e., bi-dimension, on the Tea Cup !!



                Here we see the MARVELOUS Tea Pot !!
            This is what I refer to as tri-dimensional,
                i.e., the surface is curved both
                  horizontally and vertically !!