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AGAIN, people are welcomed to email Pat at :

    hennesseypatricia@hotmail.com

OR call 631-665-4680 or write to Patricia Hennessey,
38 Woodland Drive, Brightwaters, NY 11718 about any
of these items or other convention questions.

** HOW UNFAIR ??

In one of K.C.'s classes, they were discussing the
qualifications to be president of the United States.
It was pretty simple - the candidate must be a natural
born citizen of at least 35 years of age. However, one
girl in the class immediately started in on how unfair
was the requirement to be a natural born citizen.

In short, her opinion was that this requirement
prevented many capable individuals from becoming
president. KC and the class were just taking it in
and letting her rant, but everyone's jaw hit the floor
when she wrapped up her argument by stating, "What
makes a natural born citizen any more qualified to
lead this country than one born by C-section?"

** O.K. HERE’S ONE OF MY FAVOURTIES !!

A young couple decides to have an outside barbeque
fireplace constructed on the patio of their new home !!
They contract with a brick mason whom is known not
only for his construction skills but his ability to
estimate cost and materials !!

Our mason gathers together brick, mortar and iron work
in preparation for his task !! Ultimately, he constructs
the most marvelous of barbeque fireplaces and stands
back to admire his achievements !!

As he regards his genius, he glances down and notices
that he has a single brick remaining !! This is most
distressing to him as he considers himself a master
craftsperson and has never had left over materials
from any of his previous construction !!

He is extremely frustrated and contemplates frantically

as what to do with this lone brick !!

What do you think he finally does with this lowly brick ??

(Read on for answer !!)

** ROSENBAUM COLLECTION SALE !!

Jon Rosenbaum has placed his late parent’s Belleek
Collection up for sale !! There are still some very
fine and interesting items left and he invites you
to visit my Link below for your perusal and purchase !!

http://delyicious.magix.net/public/auctions/jrosenbaum.html

If you are curious regarding a particular item please
contact him directly !! Both his E-mail address and
telephone are on his list !! If you desire a picture
let Jon know and he’ll do his best to accommodate your
request !!

PLEASE take a moment and pass this Link on to ALL your
Belleeker friends and acquaintances !! Don’t worry
about someone else contacting the same person(s) as
I’m SURE that everyone would rather receive ‘duplicate
E-mails’ as opposed to NOT receiving this important
information !!

Remember, the Holiday Season is upon us and there’s
some SPLENDID gifts in this fine collection as well
additions to your own treasures !!

** ANSWER TIME ??!!

PRETTY EASY !! He simply threw the brick away ??!!

O.K., so that’s not so funny ??  Try this one !!

A tour bus is on route around Ireland unveiling the
marvels of the countryside to its occupants !! A nice
lady is sitting, holding her little Yorkie in her lap,
next to a somewhat obnoxious gentleman who’s smoking a
quite repulsive cigar !!

The lady finally turns to the man and requests that he
put out his cigar as its bothersome to not only her,
but to other passengers as well !! The man flatly
refuses her request !!

In response, the lady threatens to throw his cigar out
the window if he continues smoking !! The man retaliates
by threatening to toss her Yorkie out the window !! Of
course, the man continues smoking !!

Undaunted, the lady grabs the man’s cigar and throws
it out the window !! The man immediately retaliates,
as he promised, by grabbing her Yorkie and tossing the
poor thing out of the moving bus window !!

The woman jumps to her feet, screaming, and yells to
the tour guide to have the bus stopped !! The bus driver
stops immediately and many of the passengers look out
the windows to see what’s happened !!

Still screaming, the lady disembarks and looks down the
road for her precious Yorkie !! Low and behold, the cute
little Yorkie is spotted, running up the road, toward
the bus !!

As he approaches the bus, the passengers notice the dog
has something in its mouth !!

IT’S AMAZING !!

What do you think the Yorkie’s carrying in his mouth ??

THE CIGAR !!

NO, NO !! He got the BRICK !!

** HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!

I was going to press with another Christmas article,
but couldn’t gather the necessary background I required !!

SO, this morning, I CHANGED EVERYTHING !!

A number of years ago, 1980 to be exact, the Pottery
introduced its Holly Pattern Tea Ware !! This wonderful
range of Tea Ware was only produced for a quite limited
period of time, I believe only two, maximum of three
years !! In your B.C.I.S. Newsletter, Volume 2, Number 3,
1980, the Pottery claims to have produced Dinner Plates,
Side Plates, Soup Bowl and accompanying (under) Plate,
Tea and Coffee Cups and matching Saucers, Candlestick,
Ashtray, Salt and Pepper Shakers, Cream Jug and Sugar
Bowl, Coffee Mug, Ashtray and (Dinner) Bell to complete
this Wares Varieties !!

I can discouver NO mention of this Tea Ware in any of
my numerous Pottery (Sales) Guides ?? I have seen a
number of the individual items, but to date have not
had the privilege of admiring a complete place setting !!

As you will discouver from your B.C.I.S. Newsletter,
Volume 5, Number 3, 1983, the Pottery introduced the
cousin to the Holly Pattern, the Enchanted Holly
Collection !! The Pottery’s 1983 (Suggested) Retail
Price Guide, list 11 total items in this beautiful
range !! These include Tea Cup and matching Saucer,
Butter Plate, Salad Plate, Dinner Plate, Sugar Bowl,
Cream Jug, (Dinner) Bell, Candlestick, Covered
(Preserve) Jar and Coffee Mug !!

In 1984, the Pottery augmented this Collection with 6
additional items, Bread/Cake Plate, Candy/Butter Dish,
Salt & Pepper Shakers, Biscuit Jar and Pie Server !!
I am not clear as to the difference between the 1983
and 1984 Butter Dish ??

Both Collections display their own beauty !! The
(earlier) Holly Pattern is constructed on a ‘smooth’
surface, similar to that of the Ring Handle Ivory
Pattern, with its hand painted decoration in dark
forest green holly leaves containing brilliant red
berries !! In contrast, the Enchanted Holly was produced
on ware similar to that of Belleek’s Shamrock Ware, with
its holly leaves more of a multi-toned pastel greens
with again vivid red berries !! Of course, in most cases,
the actual ‘shapes’ of the individual items are quite
distinct from their ‘surface’ counterparts !!

BUT, as usual, I transgress !! I didn’t really wish
to discuss these two ranges of Belleek ware, but 
just to provide a bit of background from the Pottery’s
history !!

What I desire to discuss is the utilization or
accommodation of a pair of Belleek items as music
boxes !! SPECIFICALLY, Christmas musical boxes !!

In 1986, a specialty jewelry store, Kruckemeyer and
Cohn, commissioned the production of a Limited Edition
of 300 music boxes, utilizing Belleek’s Enchanted Holly
Preserve Jar as the housing containing musical works
from the world renowned Swiss musical works company
Regue !!

I would have to believe that Belleek constructed
the entire music box, i.e., was responsible for the
insertion of the musical works, as each Limited Edition
is marked with it’s appropriate Edition Number on it’s
base in gold numbering, similar to ALL other Belleek
Limited Editions !!

As you will see from the picture below, the Preserve
Jar was employed in it’s vanilla ‘flavour’, i.e., from
the exterior it still appears to be a simple Preserve
Jar, for this design !! It contains, of course, a 7th
Period (GOLD) Pottery Mark as well as the Edition Number
(136 in this example) of 300 commissioned on its base !!

 

            This BEAUTIFUL little Belleek Christmas Musical
          Enchanted Holly Preserve Jar performs Silent Night !!

I’ve included a picture below, for a detailed close-up
of the installation of the musical works !! Simply,
lift the lid of your Preserve Jar, wind up the works
and pull the start lever ‘up’ !! The installers
selected a fine Kelly Green Felt for the platform of
the musical works !!

 

                        Very Simple Musical Works,
                          Very Beautiful Music !!

The following year, 1987, Belleek produced, or was
commissioned to produce, another music box !! Belleek’s
Irish Cottage Cheese Dish was selected as a VERY
appropriate structure for the musical works !!

Until this time, Belleek’s Cottage Cheese Dish appeared
in two flavours, the ‘plain’ or undecorated Dish and
the more elaborate and decorated variety !! The prior
is simply done with a plain glaze with cob luster on
the roof, windows and door !! The latter, is additionally
decorated with brownish and greenish twigs for the
thatched roofing and, as I recall, bits of green grasses
around the base of the house as well as some flowers and
lightly decorated doors and windows !!

In any case, in 1987, Belleek’s Christmas Cottage was
commissioned !! As you can see in my picture below,
the hand painted decoration on this item is brilliant !!
There are grasses and flowers around the base of the
house !! The door and window shutters are painted !!
Drapes and candles are displayed in the windows !!
Sprays of Christmas evergreens decorate the sides of
the doorway !! There’s snowflakes on the thatched
roof, BUT I can’t figure out why the thatching itself
was NOT decorated more elaborately, i.e., similar to
their ‘production’ Painted Cottage Cheese Dish ??

Additionally, a LARGE wreath was hand painted on the
side of the house with the Year 1987 above the wreath
and the Limited Edition Number (22 in this case) of
300 below it !!  This is, of course, also a 7th. Period
(GOLD) Pottery Mark piece, which, is applied on the
base of the Dish !!



              Belleek’s SPECTACULAR Christmas Musical
                    Irish Cottage Cheese Dish
              performs time honoured White Christmas !!

I believe these to be the ONLY pair of music boxes ever
commissioned to the Belleek Pottery ?? Possibly, the
combination of obtaining a firm to accept the actual
commission and later marketing was problematic ?? OR,
possibly, the resources involved at the Pottery itself
in production of an item requiring cooperation between
multiple companies, i.e., pottery and musical works,
presented hurtles not easily overcome ??

I’m further perplexed by the lack of these in Belleek
Collections !! O.K., so this was a Limited Edition of
300 !! WHERE ARE THEY ?? I know of ONLY several !!
Probably, since Kruchemeyer and Cohn were a collectors’
resource for several flavours of collectibles, at this
time, including, musical boxes, the VAST majority of
these splendid musical boxes ended up the collections
of music box aficionados ??

We’ll probably never know, but the ‘pieces’ for the
production of another musical box are all still in
existence !!

MAYBE, in the future, the Pottery will attempt a
reintroduction along these interesting collectible
lines ??

If you’re interested, here’s a Link to Kruckemeyer
and Cohn’s business, celebrating its 110th year in
the jewelry business in Evansville, Indiana, U.S.A. :

http://www.evansvillejewelers.com/

Additionally, information regarding the World renowned
Swiss musical company REUGE may be found at :

http://www.reuge.com/

AGAIN, I wish ALL Belleekers the most SPLENDID of
Holiday Seasons and a SAFE and PROSPEROUS New Year !!

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