Linda Beard in conversation with Mary, Vicki and Chris.

President’s Corner

I would like to begin this quarter by thanking everyone who helped us reach a total of $2500 for the Degenhardt Scholarship Fund. This is a new high for our chapter, thanks to your donations and purchases and the auctioning skills of our very own Dot Morin. A special thank you to Dot.

Our guest for this meeting was Mrs. Linda Beard, 1999 BCIS Honoree and chairperson of the Richard K. Degenhardt Scholarship Fund. Mrs. Beard spoke at length of the purpose of the endowment which is to honor the memory of the founder of the Belleek Collectors International Society and help perpetuate the craftsmanship and knowledge of the fine arts in Ireland that support the creation of the beautifully artistic works that we so appreciate as collectors. Just as George Moore once spoke of the underwriting of the BCIS as a labor of love, the same can be said of Mrs. Beard’s support of the work of the Scholarship Fund. She and her husband pay all administrative costs of the Fund including travel to Ireland twice a year to participate in the selection of awardees and the presentation of awards. At the conclusion of her presentation, Mrs. Beard announced that the permanent endowment of the fund is now $82,000. All donations are deposited directly into the endowment fund, and scholarships are now presented annually from interest. Currently, the fund supports two scholarships to students of the arts at the University of Ulster and may expand the number or the size of the awards as interest rates and the endowment balance permit. I believe the Sunshine Chapter can be justly proud to be one of the sponsors of this highly worthwhile program.

Forrest and Pat DeHaan Listen to Linda’s presentation

It is my pleasure this year to announce the recognition of Charlie and Ann Belmont as the Sunshine Chapter Honorees of the year and the recipient of the recognition plate for 2006. Charlie, a charter member of the BCIS, together with Ann was instrumental in helping our chapter get off the ground. Charlie has made several presentations to the chapter based on his studies of the early years of the pottery and the influence of imported craftsmen from England until Irish talent could be developed. Ann has offered many helpful suggestions along the way that have helped make our meetings more successful, and we feel their absence when they are unable to be with us.

We had several visitors to our meeting including Forrest and Pat DeHaan from the Portland Chapter and Chris and Mike Smith from Nebraska. Forrest is in his second term as president of his chapter. Because of their location, Chris and Mike do not have a chapter affiliation, so they have decided to join us, and they will be able to attend when they winter in Florida. Our hope is to move the January meeting to south Florida beginning next year in order to provide the opportunity for other winter visitors affiliated with the BCIS to attend our meetings.

Our usual spring meeting will be postponed until May 6^th because Vicki and Bob Pearce and Pat and I have a travel conflict. If there is adequate support, we plan to repeat out luncheon cruise on the Rivership Romance this year. We will follow that by a short meeting and reception at our home. If not, we will have a conventional meeting in Sanford.

It appears that spring is already here in Florida. Enjoy it, and we’ll see you all in May.

The Auction

Paul Morin assisted wife Dot to auction off 54 items. There were many pieces of Belleek ranging from second black mark to current styles. Twenty eight members and guests joined in to make the auction a success. The auction itself net $1830.50. Donations from Kulla and Harlan Wiss, Ann and Charles Belmont and Linda Beard’s airfare added another $300.00. Bob and Vicki Pearce donated their dinner expenses, $115.00 and the individual donations over the course of the past year brought the total to $2,410.50. The chapter voted to take $89.50 from the treasury to bring the donation to $2,500.00. When everyone contributes over the course of a year it becomes very easy to have a successful auction. The average cost per item was, $33.89. The average amount spent per participant was $65.36. The highest bid was $235.00. The lowest was $2.00. The fun had by all was 100%.

Cruise Information

We discussed having our May 6^th meeting on the Rivership Romance again this year. It is important that we get our reservations in early so please contact John Miller, 407-268-9561, or Vicki Pearce, 407-767-0871, as soon as you know that you will be able to attend.

The group rate for Saturday cruises (11 am to 2 pm) are as follows:

1-19 people $45.48.

20 plus people $38.41.
Includes appetizers, beverages, lunch, tax and gratuities.

Menu:
Prime rib and horseradish sauce and au jus.
Seared chicken breast with marsala cream and mushroom sauce.
Herb crusted grouper with chardonnay, garlic and diced tomato sauce.
Caribbean style pork with mango chutney.
Eggplant parmesan.

Entrees served with salad, rolls, potato, vegetable and dessert.

We have some time as the ship holds 200 and they only have 30 reservations so far for May 6. They suggested we reserve early if we want to go because we are not held to the number we originally give them.

John

The following articles were first published in “The Belleek Collector” Volume 3 Number 1 1981, twenty five years ago.

The Belleek Collector

Twenty five years ago

The Belleek Celtic Cross

The Celtic Crosses that are to be found in stone all over the length and breadth of Ireland vary in age as much as they do in style and refinement. Few, however, are later than the Eighth Century (the first Viking invasion is recorded as having occurred in 793 A.D.) and none is earlier than the third century (by which time Christianity has created a significant inroad into the country, although the great impact was not to occur until the fifth century and the arrival of St. Patrick).

Celtic Cross, 12 inches high No. 487 in the current Catalogue.

The crosses differ enormously as to form — in earlier centuries they were merely relief carvings on otherwise unworked stone and they reached their zenith in the eighth century . . . a superb example is the Ahenny north stone cross, about 750 A.D., in County Tipperary, which is intricately and magnificently carved all over and is in itself a beautiful piece, with a separate ring (similar in form to the Belleek Celtic Cross). An intermediate form of the cross — that at Carndonagh, Co. Donegal, is a fine example — incorporates a solid circle in the overall shape.

The cross itself, of course, comes directly from the Christian Tradition. The origins of the circle are more difficult to isolate, but a brief explanation of the La Téne tradition is of some relevance . . .

Circles and curved lines, though associated in Ireland with Celtic Art, are to be found throughout the world of artefacts and buildings of every period (simple designs of this nature are to be seen in Ireland on sites inhabited by peoples who were settled long before the Celts came to the island — on, for example, the entrance stones to the megalithic tombs at Newgrange and Fourknocks in Co. Meath, which are at least four and a half thousand years old): however, Celtic artists gradually developed a magnificent abstract curvilinear style — seen at its most splendid, for instance, on the later Celtic crosses and in some of the illustrations in the, Book of Kells. This style was first documented at La Téne, in modern Switzerland, around 400 B.C. (it was well established in Ireland by that time) and, consequently, 'La Téne ' is the term used to describe it.

Some early Celtic Crosses have at the top an extra piece of work which incorporates the first two letters (Chi and Ro), in stylised form, of the Greek word for Christ. The immediate appearance of this symbol is not unlike a mis-shapen, reversed 'S'. No doubt, the two semicircles were gradually given more symmetry and harmony by being centered and better incorporated into a harmonious La Téne curve.

An alternative (not necessarily contrary) explanation might be that the circle owes its main significance to the 'halo', which has appeared throughout the centuries in countless countries in relation to holy people and things.

In any event, the combination of the angular cross shape and the filigree effect of the inclusion of a circle provide an aesthetically satisfying whole. In the Belleek Celtic Cross, the design is further enhanced by a repetition of the two basic elements of circular and perpendicular in the base.

Treasures from the Past

Our picture illustrates a First Period Belleek Grass Tea Ware Dejeuner Set Teapot (small size — D750), Tray (D736), Sugar Box (small size, lidded — D734) and Cream Jug (small size — D735). The relevant numbers are taken from the 1904 catalogue.

Grass Tea Ware Dejeuner Set.

A similar set is illustrated in R. K. Degenhardt's book, 'Belleek', on page 184, though the pieces are differently painted. Another superb example, this time in tinted and gilt, is to be found on page 59 of Dick's book.

An unusual feature of the Grassware set is the duck's head to be found on the spout of the teapot and kettle. There is no sacrifice, however, to the overall design concept and this slightly capricious element neither intrudes on nor departs from the outline and general pattern — the paintwork helps provide this unity.

One point worth mentioning is the fact that the First Period tea set is significantly less refined than any range of contemporary Belleek: the only significant change in production for a century, has been the use since 1945 of electric rather than coal-fired kilns: in the decades since, this has meant that the celebrated translucence of the porcelain is no longer a random matter of trial and error, but can be carefully controlled. Because of relief patterns, suites vary in thickness, but this early set, with painted patterns almost the sole decoration, is much heavier than anything now coming out of the Pottery.

These extremely valuable pieces belong to the collection of Mrs. Elizabeth Kelly of Dublin, Ireland, and we wish to thank her for allowing us to use the set, which was purchased by her grandmother and is still in remarkably good condition.

Bird’s Nest Tree Vase

The Vase is just over 12" high and is so exquisite it requires the insertion of no fresh flowers whatsoever to make it a perfect centerpiece or ornament. The fairly rugged basic shape is toned down by the profuse flowers and leaves; these are delicately colored in pastel tints and shades, which prevent any 'drowning' effect.

Bird’s Nest Tree Vase

The birds that give the name to the piece strike one, as in nature, only at a second or subsequent glance. Close examination reveals wonderful details ... for example the magnificent minute elegance of the feet of the bird at the top of the vase.