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Friday, May 25, 2001

Fellow Belleekers !!  (lettre # 5.3)

** CHILDHOOD MEMORIES **

Domke, Alma Grace (Baird)

I wish to express my sincerest thanks for all of you 
out there in Belleek land, as well as others, who 
honoured my mothers passing with their expressed 
sympathies !!

May God bless all of you for your kind remembrances 
and thoughts !!
 
** GINA KELLAND'S BELLEEK INDEX !! **

This is an 'oldie but goodie' !!

I have FINALLY applied Gina's updates to my Web Site !!  
These include the indices for the 11/3 2000 Belleek 
Newsletter as well as those from the MASSIVE 12/1 2001 
Newsletter !!

For those of you that maintain the 'FORMATED' pages, 
just look for a REVISION Date of 9-May-2001 !!

** UPDATED SALES AND WANTED PAGES **

Well, the following is what I promised in my last 
newslettre !!

In the next couple of weeks, I will be updating my 
lists of FORSALEs and WANTs !!  Please be advised to 
keep an 'eye' out for when I get this project ALL 
together !!

I HAVE actually updated my WANTs and am working on my 
FORSALE Web Site !!

** CANADIAN CONVENTION **

Hopefully, ALL attendees have made your reservations 
by this date !! The actual convention 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 !! 

IF you are planning on staying over a tad, you may 
want to take note of the next item !!

** CHICAGO SUMMER ANTIQUE SHOW **

I PLAN on arriving August 23rd. and I'll be staying 
at the Rosemont Inn adjacent to Chicago's O'Hare 
International Airport !!  

PLEASE pass this information onto any of your Chapter 
members that you either know are attending or suspect 
may be taking a holiday to Chicago for this spectacular
show which will be opening August 24th. and running 
thru the weekend !!

ALL the information has been posted on my Web Site 
under the UPCOMING EVENTS page !!

** CRISS CROSS !! **

I'm going to proceed somewhat like the stock market for 
a tad and try to tie up some similarities !!

The item you see pictured below is NOT Irish Belleek, 
but a spectacular example of Royal Worcester, c1898 !!

I first found this example VERY compelling as to the 
BRONZE colouring that the pottery produced on the 
figures !!  I have NO idea as to where they could 
discouver the proper glaze and paint tones and firing 
requirements !!

Moving on from this, Belleek, as far as I can determine, 
NEVER produced any turtles or monkeys !!  They DID 
however produce several FROGS !!  The MOST common of 
these would be the Frog Paperweight, which was produced
during the 1st. and 2nd. Periods as a 'real' frog and 
then again later, during the 6th. Period more like a 
'rodent' !!

The Belleek Frog was also utilized as the finial to the
ink well on the Mermaid Inkwell Figural !!  If you note, 
that the picture of the Mermaid Inkwell Finial in the 
1904 catalogue is in fact a 5-spar branch of coral !!  Obviously, the Pottery, again, had several different designs for this particular finial !!

Moving along, let's examine the BAMBOO shoot !!  
Belleek had designs on Bamboo in not only the series 
of Cane Spills, but also as the predominate design of 
the Ribbon Biscuit Jar and MOST notably on the Bamboo 
Teapot !!

What can we say regarding this 'atrocious' spill with 
a combination of Frog upon Monkey upon Turtle with a 
Bamboo spill to all ??  Well, in the time period of, 
let's say the Potteries founding, and until like around
1900, potters were ALL firing in coal fueled kilns 
which, to say the least, were NOT the best to fire 
'large' or 'complex' objects !!  So, what we discouver,
is that the Designers utilized specific type designs 
that would either support themselves, i.e., like lean 
together, OR they would design the particular item with
a 'camouflaged' support !!  The immediate items that 
arise in my mind regarding Belleek are the Horse and 
Snake where a tree pole is utilized with the serpents 
tail raped around it !!  Then, we have the Stag and 
Hounds with the Stag 'falling' upon a tree, again, a 
method of 'bracing' the structure up !!  The MOST 
common examples would be the Pair of Belgian Hawkers 
who's baskets rest on a square pillar to prevent their 
collapse during firing !! 

I know that these are but a few of the proper examples 
but hopefully you will be able to discouver the 
craftsmanship of the original potters !!  They were 
GREAT, as are the Potteries present designers !!


 


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