Grayso Enterprsie Ltd On tim newspape rights Pag Exclusiv you state Copyrigh 1989 1,049 words BEAUTIFU IRIS BELLEEK TH ENCHANTE PORCELAIN Writte an photographe b Jun Grayson Perhap th leprechaun ha somethin t d wit i th creatio o thi captivatin Iris chin tha ha charme collector fo th las on hundre an thirt years. Or thos wil an wil Irishmen. I th 1850's, Joh Bloomfield owne o Castl Caldwel i northwester Ireland discovere nativ cla deposi o hi estat tha ha qualitie unlik an othe cla i th world Fo years th loca farmer ha use th cla t pain th exterio o thei cottages impartin vivi whit finis tha wa imperviou t moistur. Bloomfiel wanted t exploi thes cla deposit commerciall an provid employmen fo hi tenan farmer stil sufferin fro th potat famin o 1846-1851 Wit friend, Rober Armstron, Londo architect h founde potter factor i 185 i Belleek smal tow o hi estat i Count Fermanagh The brough in Davi McBirne as financia backer. Ove th nex fe years the distille th strengt o th ol Iris chieftains th purit o th Iris saints th romanc o th Iris harpers th beaut o th Iris countrysid an th sturdines o th Iris peasant int th romanti porcelai chin no know a Belleek. Firs displaye a th Dubli Expositio o 1872 Bellee ha attracte enthusiasti collectors includin Quee Victori o England eve since Outstandin museum aroun th worl displa representativ example o thi pottery' art. Fin chin possesse tw qualitie translucenc (th abilit t transmit ligh) an vitreosit (th qualit of brittl glass) Unlik mos clays Bellee cla become bot translucen an vitreou i th firs firing Th glazs applie wit subsequen firins do no permeat th bod o th chin bu give a overla effect. Th irridescen an lustrou glo o it pearlize glaze remain distinguishin featur of Belleek Lik beautifu woman i glow fro within. Today th Bellee Potter use th sam technique o tota handcraftsmanshi tha i di i th beginning Workme measur the ra material feldspar flint alkalie an cla int hug vat whic tos an chur fo si days Thy filte th resultan "slip t remov impurities. The pou the slip int Plaste o Pari mold an the immediatel pou i out Th thi laye tha adhere t th insid o th mol i th ra china The allo tha t harde t chees-lik consistenc whe i i read fo it firs firin o 5 hours Th onl concessios t progres ar th hug electri kiln whic hav replace the origina ea furnaces. Craftsme ad th glaze an decoration i severa subsequen firings The transmi thei skill proudly fro on generatio t th next Becaus o th tim an labo involved eve th simples item ar mad i smal quantities thu assurin thei collectibilit an increasin value. T produc th fame Bellee baskets craftsme lac spaghett-lik rod o th "cheese substanc ove molds usin onl thei hand an eye t achiev perfection The han-sculp th paste flower aded late a decoration. Th Iris Ambassador presente a Bellee baske fille wit Iris shamroc t th newly-installe Presiden Reaga o hi firs St Patrick' Da i offic i 1981. Excep fo fiv year durin Worl Wa II Bellee ha bee produce continuousl sinc 1857 I wa firs exhibite i th Unite State a th Philadelphi Expositio o 1876 Mor tha twent America potterie attempte t produc simila fin chin whic the referre t genericall a America Belleek. I 1929 th Bellee Potter Ltd o Irelan sue successfull i th America court t preven th us o th ter "Belleek b an othe company. Th Cerami Ar Company th onl America potter t surviv fro tha perio, becam th no wel-know Lenox Inc. whic stil produce beautifu chin. Man example o th America Bellee chin produce betwee 188 an 193 remai eminentl collectibl b enthusiasti antiquers Understandably Bellee Potter Ltd o Irelan stil call suc chin "counterfeit." Yo don' nee t b Iris t collec Belleek Th Bellee Collectors Societ ha member throughou th world includin Australia Wisconsi antiqu deale say tha he bes customer ar visitin Japanes businessmen. Fortuitously almos fro th beginning th compan use a successio o trademark tha no determine th approximat yea o manufactur and th valu an rarit o eac piec o Belleek. Collector spea o th "firs blac mark use fro 186 1891 th "secon blac mark from 189-1926 an th "thir blac mark fro 192-1941 Th simple th mark th olde th piec o Bellee an th mor valuabl an collectibl Th colo o th mar wa change t gree afte Worl Wa II No i i gol i color Whateve th color al mark sho a Iris wolfhound harp roun castl tower an banne marke Belleek. Accordin t Susa Osmanski owne o ConsignTiqueS St Charles Illinois "Wha i nic i tha sometime a advance collecto doe pu hi collectio u fo sale Tha i probabl th onl wa yo ca bu "black-mark Bellee today." A advance Bellee collecto i th wester suburb who i retire airlin captai an worl travele ha chosen Consigntique t sel hi 2,00 piec collection Man o his piece hav th firs an secon blac marks attestin to thei ag an rarity. Woul-b Bellee collector wh hav n luc prospectin i antiqu store an fle market ca star thei ow collection b buyin th curren piece availabl i loca gif shop. Accordin t Doll Vari owne o Grace' Littl Bi o Irelan i Elmhurst th harpis butte dis sellin fo unde $50.0 i popula gif item. Ale McGrat o Donega Imports Chicago, say tha hi customer favo te sets dinne sets an lamp a weddin an anniversar gifts. Yo ca joi th Bellee Collectors Societ b writin t PO 675 Pin Brook Ne Jerse 07058 Yo wil receiv the quarterl bulleti an b eligibl t bu th limite editio piece offere onl t member. Someday lik al tru believer yo ma eve wan t make pilgrimag t Irelan o on o th yearl Bellee Collectors tours Wh knows yo ma eve sp th leprechaun tha starte i all. #####