I'd like to first thank, John and Pat Miller for taking charge of the meeting while Bob & I enjoyed our vacation in Belleek. It was a nice relaxing time with plenty of walks and enjoying old friends. We even saw snow and sleet in the first part of our stay and got to see the trees and plants go from barren to full bloom. That is a treat that we do not see too often in Florida.

Our thanks to Fergus and his design team at the pottery for the time and their patience to show Bob the steps that it takes to bring a new piece of Belleek to from design to mold. We learned a lot as you'll see in Bob's article in this newsletter.

Remember that our July meeting is for July 26th, at O'Keefe’s Irish Pub in Tavares, Fl. Maps will follow in mid June. See everyone there. Have a nice summer and for those traveling, please, drive careful.

Vicki

John’s notes on the meeting

Treasurer’s Report. As of today, the Treasury contains $695.09. Dee Moran paid $20 for $15.00 dues and a $5.00 donation to the scholarship fund. In addition, $65.00 was collected for the scholarship fund.

Letters from Linda Beard and the Dean and President of the University of Ulster thanking the chapter for its donation were read to the group. Also, a note from Michele Jones to the chapter thanking it for flowers during her recent illness was read and acknowledged.

Discussion topics:

Pottery reduction in hours worked in lieu of redundancies.

The Dallas TX Chapter has terminated operations after twenty years.

The current Honoree, Helen Rankin of Northern Ireland Chapter, will serve for another year.

Several New Archival Products are available for 2008. Pricing information can be obtained from the pottery or Reed and Barton.

Florence Pitcher 1870

Tridacna teapot 1872

Five o’clock cup and saucer 1910

Cardium on coral 1880

Shamrock oval platter 1928

Princess vase 1904

(was being made during convention)

Figure of Erin 16 of 20 selling at £7,500.00.

Purchase info available from Reed and Barton at 1-800-343-1383, Ext 5 or the pottery web site (visitorcentre@belleek.ie

A new backstamp has been introduced for 2008. The color is described as chocolate, and the registration mark has changed slightly.

The 2009 Convention is scheduled to take place in April 2008 in New Jersey. It will be a cooperative effort between the New Jersey and NY Chapters.

Tom Moran made the suggestion that the chapter extend an invitation for persons not living in the area who wish to maintain a chapter affiliation and receive mailings of the newsletter and other notices from the chapter. The chapter might choose to reduce the dues to $10.00 for this affiliation plus a voluntary $5.00 donation. Action for deferred for presentation to the President.

The suggestion was made that we have the next meeting at O’Keefe’s. July 26 was selected as the proposed date for the meeting.

The Design of a new piece of Belleek Parian China

While visiting the pottery during the spring, I thought that it might be interesting to see just how a piece of Belleek Parian china comes to life. I contacted Fergus Cleary, Head of Belleek’s Design Department and asked if I could get an insiders look at how a Belleek item comes into being.

Fergus suggested that we use the 2009 annual plate as a model and introduced me to Catherine Townshend, designer of the 2009 plate.

The plate is one beautiful piece of sculpting relief. Eight sided set on one point, with a raised rim. Inside the rim is a raised scalloped pattern running from point to point around the rim. Inside the scalloped pattern is a loose raised lattice work of woven ribs finished off with a raised circle. Inside the circle is a relief of Kylemore Abbey done in such detail as to show the stone that it was made from. I can now appreciate how much work goes into the design. As a collector we get to see how Belleek items are molded, assembled, painted and fired when we go though the factory tour. Much more goes into the making of the master mould.

Catherine, herself a designer has been with Belleek for 6 years and was my tour guide. She explained… First there is the paper sketch which is drawn and redrawn until it is perfect.

The completed drawing.

Then it has to go for approval by management and the company executives to insure that it will be well received by the purchasing public.

The design is then separated into its individual detailed parts. Each detail is carved by hand on what is called a “sprig.”

This is the completed sprig.

The meaning of the name has been lost in antiquity however; it is the starting block for a detail that will be used to become part of the master mould. Such as a door or window on a Belleek sculptured cottage. Once the carving of the sprig is complete it is used to make a reverse image. The reverse image is then filled with special clay. The clay being removed from the sprig’s reverse image is now the image that will be used in creating the master mould such as a doorway or window on the sidewall of a cottage.

In the short time that we had, this insert was a little incomplete.

Little details were brought out like a plastic straight-edge is used to remove excess clay so that the sprig’s surface is not damaged.

Meanwhile in another part of the design bench, in a similar fashion, the plate itself is being turned in plaster on a wheel. Lines are drawn out to section the basic plate design. The border, scallops, basket weave and circle are carved into the larger blank mould.

In the centre of the plate mould is a raised flat circle that is not touched during the carving. This will become the well that will hold the Kylemore Abbey relief. Once completed and inspected a reverse image of the whole plate is made. This can happen several times until the designer is happy with the carved detail.

Once happy with the rest of the mould, the sprig of Kylemore Abbey is placed into the well in the reverse plate. A ring is then turned to complete the assembly. From this the master mould is made.

From the master mould, many production moulds are made. Each production mould can be used to cast about 40 plates before the detail starts to fade.

The completion of the plate involves the casting, fettling, firing, glazing of the plate except for the Kylemore Abbey relief, adding the Celtic knot and date transfers and of course the back stamp.

The end result will be the plate pictured below.

2009 Annual Plate