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Monday, August 18, 2003

Fellow Belleekers !!  (lettre # 7.2)

** BLESSED EVENT !! **

The SECOND most BLESSED event of my life occurred shortly
after my latest Newslettre !!  

The first of course was the birth of my lovely daughter 
Eryn Anne, and NOW, she has married !!

The LUCKY gentleman is a splendid Film Editor for Vinton 
Studios in Portland, Oregon !!  Vinton specializes in
animation art work for commercials, etc., and are world 
renowned for their work !!

SO, the little girl, that some of you once knew as 
Eryn Anne Domke, is NOW Eryn Anne Murrie !!

** WHAT'S NEW ?? **

As I've been promising, I added many New Dealer Listings 
on my Web Site as well as several new Chapter Links !!  
So, there's a LOT of new information to browse thru !!

ALSO, I have completed the work and posting of the 
results from the recent auction of Bonhams and Butterfields, 
for which I have received their generous permission for 
inclusion of the item photographs !!  YES, ALL their 
Lot Photo's are included at their Auction Site !!

** UPCOMING ARTICLE !! **

If you remember from my May Newslettre, I included an
article discussing the cleaning of Belleek, as well as 
Glass and Porcelain in general with Woolite !!

Well, I am planning an article in my NEXT Newslettre 
regarding the cleaning or soaking of Belleek in ANY 
products that contain ANY solvents or petroleum 
products !!  You see, I've had an extremely unfortunate 
experience with products containing any form of 
solvents !!

If ANY of my readers out there in Belleek Land have 
had similar experiences, PLEASE drop me a line with 
your observations !!  ALL INPUT, as always, is GREATLY 
APPRECIATED !!

** 2003 COLUMBIA CHAPTER CONVENTION !! **

LAST chance to register !!  I have it on VERY good 
authority, via fellow Belleekers from 'down under', 
that they will have at least three couples from the 
New Zealand Chapter in attendance at the Convention !!
Help welcome them to our WONDERFUL country !!

If you're NEW to the World of Belleek Collecting or an 
'Old Hand' Affectionardo, the 'Host' Columbia Chapter
of Oregon has promised ALL Belleekers a WONDERFUL 
excursion to the BEAUTIFUL Pacific Northwest !!

UNFORTUNATELY, as I have been informed, the tour 
company, that was to have scheduled pre and post 
Convention Tours of the Portland and surrounding areas,
has essentially 'backed out' of their obligations ??  
This is as they say, 'Due to lack-of-interest' ??  
This is simply travel business verbiage for 'we need 
like 60 people before we will commit to a tour' !!

If you ARE still arriving early, or planning a few 
extra days at the end of the Convention, I'm sure that 
if you contacted Pat, she would have some SPLENDID 
excursion recommendations for you !!

Complete information, including Registration Forms, 
can be located thru the EVENTS Page on my Web Site, 
address below, OR directly thru the following Link :

http://delyicious.magix.net/public/conv_2003.html

Again, if the above Link is NOT Clickable, simply 
EDIT/COPY then EDIT/PASTE it in your Browser and GO !!

** TRIP TRIVIA !! **

I discouvered this medical fact while browsing around
the InterNet !!  YES, I DO HAVE ANOTHER LIFE !!  But 
for this HOT weather, I quote :

"Have you ever been gulping down an ice cold drink and 
then had a brain freeze? OUCH! What causes these ice 
cream headaches?

"An ice cream headache is triggered by a sudden change 
in temperature that occurs in your mouth when you eat
something cold.

"On a hot day when you eat a snow cone, the cold crushed 
ice that touches the top of your mouth initiates a 
nerve reaction that swells blood vessels in your head. 
The nerve center on the roof of your mouth overreacts
to the cold temperature of the snow cone and tries to
heat your brain. 

"This swelling of blood vessels is what causes an ice 
cream headache, or what is more commonly known as 
"brain freeze" or "frozen brain syndrome."

"Luckily the intense stabbing pain in your head usually 
lasts only for about 30-60 seconds. 

"I scream, you scream, we all scream ice cream HEADACHE! 
- 30% of the human population suffers from these 
excruciating headaches. The best way to avoid getting
an ice cream headache is keep the chilled foods or 
beverages you eat on the side of your mouth, away from 
the roof of your mouth."

What's NOT on the InterNet ??

** PIG'S IS PIG'S !! **

I believe this to be the title of a VERY enjoyable 
(Children's) book that I still enjoy late into my 
adulthood !!  Basically, it concerns the arrival of 
a 'mated' pair of Guinea Pigs at a train depot and the
station master's belief that the bill of lading refers
to farm style pigs and thus refuses to release them to
the expecting children !!  The story, of course, 
continues with the 'shipment' increasing their numbers
every couple of days and the obvious antics required 
to house the numerous cavies !!

So, why pigs !!  Well, today's domesticated pig is a 
close relative to the wild boor, which was hunted from 
prehistoric times !!  Now, the 'wild' variety still 
exists in many parts of the world and is STILL hunted
for sport while it's domesticated cousin is bread for
food and show !!  YES, out West here, we actually have
County Fairs where there's a 'best of show' for several
categories of pigs !!

In any case, the Belleek Pottery, has since, at least, 
the Second Period, produced both a Small and Large 
(seated) Pig !! I personally have a LARGE Second Period 
Pig, my question is, does ANYONE out there have a First 
Period example ??  I.e., did the production commence  
during the Second Period or earlier ??

NOW, I know for a fact that Belleek produced their Pigs 
in the 2nd Period (Pottery #'s 230 & 231), 3rd Period
(Pottery #'s 361 & 362), 4th Period (Pottery #'s 361 & 
361), 6th Period (Pottery #'s 455 & 456), and 8th 
Period (Pottery #'s B0464 & B0456) !!

THEN, by the Millennium, they have BECOME EXTINCT !! 
Can anyone out there provide the missing pieces of this 
pig puzzle ??

Why my interest in pigs ??  Frankly, they're CUTE !!
NO, actually it's the production process that makes 
them a fascination !!  Like Belleek's Leprechaun that
requires a separate mold for his right arm, Belleek's
Pigs require separate molds for not only their protruding 
legs BUT ALSO for their ears !!

SO, the next time you look at one of Belleek's Large 
Pigs, do so with the thought that a painstaking process 
of assembling SIX different 'parts' was required to 
produce this finished product !!  I would HAVE to 
guess that their production was somewhat 'limited' 
throughout the Pottery's History due to this fact of 
complex assembly ??

Now, recently, I was fortunate to acquire a SMALL Second 
Period CRESTED Pig !!  I found this of immense interest 
in that Belleek, like Goss who made NUMEROUS Crested
Wares, produced limited amounts of 'miniature' ware 
bearing Crests, mainly those of Counties or Townships !!

Other that the Small Pig, though, I have NOT been able 
to authenticate ANY other 'Crested' Animals !!  My 
immediate guess, would be that somewhere out there 
in Belleek Land, exists a Small Crested Swan, again, 
probably of the Second Period !!  Does ANYONE know of
her existence ??


 


                        A REALLY Cute Small Size Pig !!
                 The Crest is that of "Killarney" !!

A very interesting article can be found in The Belleek 
Collector, Volume 4, Number 3, 1993 !!  As expressed 
in this article, the majority of Crested Ware was 
produced during the 2nd Period, although items from 
the 1st Period DO exist !!  A VERY rare item is a 
'Loving Cup', from my collection, with the "Belleek, 
Robinson & Cleaver, Belfast" (Special 2nd Period) Mark !!

If you refer to one of my 'earlier' Newslettres, I 
recommend a 'Crested' Item in your collection, if for
nothing more than a conversation piece !!

Along with, what was probably the demise of the Small
and Large 'Seated' Pigs, during the 8th Period, Belleek 
introduced their 'whimsical' Piggy Bank, Pottery Number 
B1955, 1993 !!  He's quite cleverly fashioned, in a 
'laying' down position, glancing up at you with a totally 
silly grin on his snout !!

A BIT more trivia : (From the InterNet !!)

"Ever wonder how the piggy bank got its name, and form?

"The piggy bank made its debut in Western Europe between 
the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, and replaced 
the clay jars that once housed spare change.

"People named the pig-shaped bank after the orange clay,
"pygg," from which it was crafted.

"The bank retained its name long after artisans stopped 
using the clay to produce pottery, and eventually the
name "pygg" assumed the name "pig bank," and then the
name "piggy bank."

"The individual who formed the first lump of "pygg" 
into the shape of a pig either had a sense of humor, 
or saw symbolism in using the pig as a model. One 
school of thought insists that the piggy bank is fed 
the "leftovers" of a ones money until it is fat enough
to be smashed, and the money harvested.

"Years ago, in German speaking countries, craftsmen 
gave their apprentices piggy banks to reward them for
years of learning their respective trades.

"To this day, in the same countries, it is customary to
give piggy banks as gifts. Because the belief that a pig 
brings luck still holds true, at New Years, the 
so-called "Lucky Pigs" are still exchanged as gifts. 
The "Lucky Pig," however, cannot be found throughout 
the world."

AMAZING, what can be, and has been, produced from clay
and its accompanying history !!

The Pottery's latest edition to their pig family was 
introduced in 1999 as Pig with Piglet, Pottery Number
B2381 !!  This is an ADORABLE pair of Mother Pig with
her Piglet in a little basket, both adorned with a 
Shamrock !!


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