PREVIOUS NEWS
Thursday, December 28, 2000
Fellow Belleekers !! (lettre # 4.6)
** HEADLINE NEWS !! **
** BELLEEK Launches Sales in Tokyo !!
I JUST received my newslettre from the United Kingdom
Collectors' Group and was fascinated, to say the least,
with one of their articles regarding the establishment
of sales offices and a warehouse for Belleek in Tokyo
during the month of September, 2000 !!
Quoting directly from their text : "He (Mike Kagawa,
representing the Japanese stores) was enthusiastic
about Belleek's future in his native country : 'The
design of the products is to the liking of the Japanese
ladies as well as its soft colours and the fineness of
the product. We're finding that tableware sets and the
Belleek baskets are the favourites'.
Indeed, based on his advice, Belleek Pottery will
shortly be turning out a range of very attractive
products which will be specially designed from old
shapes in the firm's archives."
Hmmmm !! JUST what might these 'old shapes' be ??
This is VERY exciting as well as VERY intriguing !!
I guess the world of Belleekers will have to wait and
see the outcome of these fascinating developments ??
** JEAN COMERFORD WELECK **
Jean's MASSIVE collection of Belleek will go on auction
during the 2 days of February 10 and 11, 2001 !! As
everyone, who have had the privilege visiting her
collection, and those of us whom have seen pictures of
it as well as studied her published book, know that
this will be the feature event of the year as expected !!
I have some additional information as follows :
1. The Preview and Auctions will ALL be held at
7303 East Earll Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
2. Preview will be held Friday, February 9th. from
Noon till 6PM PDT.
3. 1st. auction session will be held Saturday,
February 10th. commencing at 11AM PDT.
4. The closing auction session will commence at
11AM PDT Sunday, February 11th. !!
Able Auctions at 1-480-949-1077 or www.ableauctions.com
will be managing her sale !! The above website has a
COMPLETE list, including pictures, of all lots !!
** BELLEEK COLLECTORS' FAIR **
As ALWAYS, Lori and Ben Harlan host a spectacular
Belleek Fair at the Silver Cloud Inn in Portland,
Oregon !! This years fair will feature, our own,
Ms. Angela Moore, as well as the customary Belleek
sales tables from WORLDWIDE RENOUNED dealers !!
This year's date is set at April 28, 2001 beginning
at 8:30AM !! Be sure to make your reservations EARLY
at the Silver Cloud as space fills up VERY QUICKLY !!
You can contact Lori and Ben at 425-828-4247 or E-mail
them at harlan@gte.net !!
I've also updated my UPCOMING EVENTS page on my Web
Site with a hyperlink to the Harlan's site with ALL
the detailed information as well as some of last years
pictures !!
** CANADIAN CONVENTION **
I don't wish to necessarily duplicate everything that
the wonderful host Trillium Chapter and Angela have
already published in The Belleek Collector, but this
will make sure that the details are on the Internet AND
maybe we'll latch onto some new members ??
This will be the second convention held outside the US,
the first being at Stoke on Trent !! Dates are from
July 26th. thru the 29th., but usually MANY Belleekers
arrive early and depart late to spend quality time with
old acquaintances and to scalp the local land of
Belleek !!
Hopefully, you have all made your reservations as the
Chapter can make better arrangements the more in
advance they can schedule for space, meals, etc.
Actually, they were hoping for reservations to be made
PRIOR to November 30th, 2000 !!
Room reservations can be made DIRECTLY with the Hotel
at 1-800-222-8888 !! Special rates of CAN$ 115
(standard) and CAN$125 (premium) room rates should be
requested as you identify yourself as a Belleeker
attending the Belleek Convention !!
** Collectors' NEWS and UPDATES !! **
For any of you who missed my PREVIOUS newslettre :
I have updated Gina's index of the Belleek Collectors'
Newsletters and (hopefully) ALL chapters have someone
that can extract them off my Web Site ?? Remember,
that using the 'formatted' version of this index allows
one to print ONLY those pages with a 'later' revision
date, i.e., the 'This Page Last Updated' which is
centered on the top of each page !! NOTE : 12/13/14 -
November - 2000 is the latest date !!
**ANOTHER Interesting Similarity !! **
Here, I've photographed, yet another work from the
Royal Worcester Potteries !! Unfortunately, I'm not
sure as to the earliest this transfer design can be
attributed to the folks at Royal Worcester !! ALTHOUGH,
and this may be fortunate, we KNOW that Belleek was
producing their Chinese Tea Ware EARLY in their 1st
period !! Note the similarities between Belleek's
Dragon Tray and this 10½" Plate !! Royal Worcester's
depiction of the Dragon is much more elaborate as theirs
has wings and appears to be emerging from a cloud !!
Both Dragons, though are 4 toed and have their
respective tails, tongues and noses in corresponding
patterns !!
For those of you unfamiliar with the legends, MANY
Oriental cultures believe that the Universe itself was
formed by a LARGE Dragon passing thru the empty spaces
and 'belching' out the respective galaxies, stars and
their planets !! I find this philosophy QUITE
fascinating and if ANY reader out there has the
COMPLETE fable I would be MORE that pleased to share
it with EVERYONE !!
For those of you interested in the REAL production of
this spectacular plate, it ranges in the time period
from 1943 to 1948, inclusive, as did the Royal Worcester
Spider Plate in my PREVIOUS edition !! I would then
conclude, that BOTH Royal Worcester's Spider Pattern and
their Chinese Dragon Ware, of which they produced a
COMPLETE Dinner Service, arrived on the scene AFTER
Belleek's corresponding Thorn and Chinese Tea Ware,
since BOTH of the Belleek patterns mentioned were in
production within Belleek's 1st period !!
Although I have not reproduced the mark on this item,
PLEASE trust me it is in the SAME blue transfer colour
as that of the Dragon, IDENTICAL to the standards
utilized by Belleek in regard to their Earthenware
during their 1st and 2nd periods !!
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