PREVIOUS NEWS

Sunday, June 27, 1999

Fellow Belleekers !!  (lettre # 3.4)

** CHICAGO SUMMER ANTIQUE SHOW **
  ** August 13 thru 15, 1999 **

I'll be arriving into Chicago for the grand summer 
antique fair sometime the day of August 12th !!  
I plan on staying at the Rosemont Hotel at the 
Convention Center by O'Hare International Airport 
for the duration !! 

I have received an even DOZEN complimentary passes to 
the show which I will give out to fellow Belleekers, 
basically, on a first come you get a pass basis !!  If 
you desire passes, please leave word, i.e., a message 
for me at the Rosemont and include where I can contact 
you and the number of passes you would like !!

** Belleek Millennium Convention ** 
   ** Washington, D.C.**
      ** September 24th.thru 26th. 1999 !! **

WOW !!  I hope all of you Belleekers out there in 
Belleek land have either finalized your plans for the 
upcoming Millennium Convention or if not are well on 
your way to doing so !!

Actually, I have HALF of my arrangements confirmed as 
you read this !!  If you read this in July, I JUST may 
be fully confirmed !!  

The deadline for submitting your order for the Special 
Millennium Plate HAS NOW PASSED !!  If you forgot to 
order yours, you will have to wait for the (actually, 
ANY) Secondary Market offerings !!

I'm STILL planning on filming a couple of videos, one 
of my collection and the other a surprise !!  If Angela
can fit me in and there is sufficient interest, the 
hotel assures me they have the proper projection 
equipment for a LARGE screen presentation !!

As Angela is quite busy, if you are interested in 
viewing a basic home video, PLEASE contact the home 
office at 1-800-BELLEEK and let Charlotte know to 
leave an updated count for Angela !!  REMEMBER, we're 
a democratic Society and YOUR VOTE DOES COUNT !!

** SOTHEBY's IRISH AUCTION !! **

Well, the auction has ended, but I'm not sure the 
excitement has ended for all those involved !!  
Personally, I find it VERY hard to imagine how 
Sotheby's can hold either pre auction viewings or 
auctions virtually EVERY day of the year !!  Hopefully,
they will have another very successful Irish auction 
next year ??
 
In any case, I have listed the results of ALL the 
Belleek lots on my Web Site !!  Unfortunately, to 
include ALL of them here would require 30 (YES, THIRTY)
pages as I listed 'full' descriptions this year !!  
Hopefully, at least ONE Member of your chapter received
a catalogue and post sales prices and can share them 
with you ??

I am also hopeful that at least one Chapter Member also
obtained a new treasure from the auction !!

As I DO have a bit of space, a couple major items of 
interest were :

105. A rare Belleek double photo frame
First Period (1863-1890)
modeled with two oval beaded cartouches 
within a profusely flower-encrusted border, 
supported on twig feet
double black printed marks, 29cm., 11Iin., 
brass easel fittings, strut missing, minor chips
   £ 2,000 -£ 2,500  
 US$ 3,341 -US$ 4,176  
   Selling Price: £ 3,910

108. An unusual Belleek tete-a-tete
First Period (1863-1890)
painted by E.W. Swann, signed, with British birds 
within gilt beaded cartouches reserved against 
a pale green ground, 
comprising: a quatrelobed tray, a teapot and cover, 
a milk jug, a sucrier and cover, 
and two cups and saucers (10) 
black printed marks, artist's signature to tray, 
42cm., 16Iin., haircrack to tray
   £ 2,000 -£ 3,000  
 US$ 3,341 -US$ 5,011  
   Selling Price: £ 8,625

154. A Belleek 'Rathmore' basket
Second Period (1891-1926)
with four strand centre beneath a triple looped rim, 
set with twig handles and elaborate feet
applied ribbon impressed 'BELLEEK CO. FERMANAGH IRELAND', 
28cm., 11in., some restoration to extremities
   £ 600 -£ 800  
 US$ 1,003 -US$ 1,337  
   Selling Price: £ 2,530

177. An unusual Belleek 'Thorn' mug
First Period (1863-1890)
the moulding picked out in pink and green enamel, 
highlighted in gilding
black printed factory mark and registration diamond, 
8cm., 3Iin.
   £ 280 -£ 350  
 US$ 468 -US$ 585  
   Selling Price: £ 483

215. A fine and rare Belleek 'bronzed' 
figure of 'The Crouching Venus'
First Period (1863-1890)
the goddess modeled seated on a rocky shell 
and wave-strewn base, wearing gilt bracelets 
and band through her hair
impressed and black printed marks, 46cm., 18in.
This fine figure, which normally appears in Parian, 
is the only known 'bronzed' example.
See M. Langham for a discussion of this model, 
in Belleek Irish Porcelain, p.7, pl.ST.9.
   £ 15,000 -£ 20,000  
 US$ 25,051 -US$ 33,401  
   Selling Price: £ 17,250

** CHAPTER NEWS AND UPDATES !! **

The Evergreen Chapter held a Charity Auction at their 
Summer meeting to raise MUCH needed proceeds for the 
Eastside Domestic Violence Program which maintains and 
staffs shelters and facilities for victims of domestic 
violence and their dependent children !!  All in all, 
the Chapter raised over $850 for this VERY deserving 
cause !!  THANKS Evergreen members for your donations 
and support !! The Chapter also wishes to thank those 
individuals and businesses who donated items from 
outside the Chapter !!

PLEASE let me know what your chapter is doing or has 
done so I may include a brief description in this space 
for other Chapters to gather ideas from !!

** THE PRISONER (the continuing saga) **

The Prisoner of Love has arrived at her new home !! 
   . . .(end part # 3) !!

And we continue now with our story !!

I've only had her for a brief time when I receive a 
phone call in the middle of the morning.  I answer the 
telephone and low and behold it's Fergus Cleary (ed. 
Note : Current Head Designer of the Pottery, among many
other tasks) !!  He had discouvered that I had acquired
the Prisoner and wanted to chat a bit.  My immediate 
question to him was "Do you have ANY idea exactly what 
time it is ??".  His reply was "Of course, it's lunch 
time, that's why I have a break and can call you !!".  
My reply was "It may be lunch time where you are but 
it's three o'clock in the morning here !!".  Suffice it 
to say, that I believe the Irish ARE correct in that 
the world is flat and that the sun does revolve around 
the earth, thus providing us with a single time zone in 
a universal manner !!  During our discussion he made it 
clear that due to the marking of the piece, i.e., she 
only has an impressed first period mark, that his 
opinion was that this was the first Prisoner cast by 
the Pottery !!

The Prisoner and I move around for years and eventually
the time of the Burbank international Belleek convention
transpires.  I am relating this story to George Moore 
(our owner who just maybe in "direct conflict of 
interest" with our fearless leader based on testimony 
by several obscure members, who really wish to remain 
anonymous !!) down at the hotel bar one afternoon and 
George finally responds "I want MY Prisoner of Love 
back" !! I recount again this story to him and leave 
the matter settled with a solid legal argument of 
"finders keepers" !!

Two additional years pass and it's now 1995 and time 
for our gala convention in Seattle !!  As I am 
discussing Belleek with several persons up in the 
hospitality suite a nice gentleman approaches the 
group, and awaiting his turn, finally introduces 
himself as the new owner of the Sydney Reynolds Glass 
and China Shop.  As the discussion progresses, he 
indicates that as the new owner he had looked forward 
to meeting with the person who had purchased the 
'other' Prisoner of Love and that he now had the
Prisoner on the banister up for sale !!   I find this
VERY interesting !!  In any case, the prisoner on the 
banister is a second period version and completely 
glazed over and extremely wonderful !!  You can see the
ad for her at belleek@oceanside.com (ed. Note : I don't
know if she is still or currently for sale) !!

Now, we jump ahead another couple of years and here I 
am at the next international convention hosted by the 
members of our United Kingdom Chapter !!  Following the
convention about 75 of the attendees track off to 
Ireland for a mini tour and one of our stops is of 
course the Belleek Pottery.  The pottery has in its' 
collection, what I believe to be, a 5th period Prisoner
of Love rotating about in all her splendor in a display
case.  Of interest is that she is also fully glazed but
has similar 'faults' to the original version !!  
Surprisingly, the pottery, even with its' new and 
improved gas kilns could not decipher the proper
parameters to enable them to produce such a work of art
without any drying or firing cracks ??  Keep in mind 
though that the Prisoner is reputedly the largest on
record of any individual figural produced by any 
pottery !!
 
Now, shortly after my arrival home from this wonderful 
excursion, I am contacted with news of another Prisoner
of Love but in this case she is, YES, in colour !!  My 
eyes light up but seemingly the cost is prohibitive to 
my diminutive budget !!  Fortunately, the powers to be,
i.e., those with unlimited funds, were able to secure 
this marvelous statue and offer it to me at a reasonable
profit including terms !!

This brings me to the end of my rendition of the history 
of my present Prisoner of Love as I have considered
sacrificing her in lieu of my current love !!  If she
leaves me, I can only hope that the party who gives my
'ex' a better home will continue with this eulogy to her
beauty !!
  
                   (ENDE of BOOK 1 !!)


 
               A RARE view of the Rose Garland
                which binds her Love as well as some
                 of the highlights from her robes !!
                  (from the Coloured Statue !!)

Belleekingly,

Del E. Domke, Belleek Consultant
16142 N.E. 15th. Street
Bellevue,  WA    98008-2711
U.S.A.

Telephone :  1 (425) 746-6363
Message :    1 (425) 746-6363
FAX :        1 (425) 746-6363 
E-mail :     delyicious@comcast.net
Web-site :   The Beauty and Romance of Irish Belleek  (or) : 
              http://delyicious.magix.net/public/index.html