Irish Belleek Porcelain Rathmore Flower Pot Jardiniere Black Mark III Birds

Description: From humble beginnings in the mid 19th century the Belleek factory of Ireland quickly grew into a large operation still in business today after celebrating their 160th year in 2017. Originally founded by John Caldwell Bloomfield on the estate he inherited in 1849 in the small town of Belleek, County Fermanagh, the factory began experimenting with the readily available materials necessary to produce fine bone china from the existing clay. Starting in 1863, the company used specific marks on the bottom of each example to provide a dating system for their porcelain. The first mark dated examples from 1863-1891, the second from 1891-1926 and so on to number 16 distinct marks as of the year 2019. Examples in the first three marks usually in the color black are the most sought after and usually command higher prices in the market. The next three marks by the company were green, the last ending in 1980. Over the many decades in operation, the Belleek factory designed and marketed many absolutely beautiful patterns and shapes often using additional clay to form florals in relief. These were applied during production before firing and exhibit an extremely delicate appearance. Subject matter also included nautical items such as shells, seaweed and coral as well as the detailed flowers and leaves. We have here an exceptional and very rare example of Irish Belleek porcelain with the Rathmore flower pot recently acquired. In the shape of a jardiniere, this example has beautiful three groupings of a single bird perched on flowers and leaves near the top. The black mark on the bottom indicates the production time period from 1926 to 1946, however, I firmly believe this example to have been produced prior to World War II. Quite heavy for this style of porcelain, I firmly believe this shape was actually made to use for planting, possibly the reason many are not found in the marketplace today. According to my research, this example was produced primarily in the glazed cream color without the addition of cobbing or tinting of the applied features. It measures 8” tall and 7 3/8” across the top. In excellent condition for its age and delicate nature, I have included pictures of several blooms with minor chips, one sprig missing a leaf and tiny chips on a couple other leaves. With an example such as this one, this would be considered minor damage as these examples most likely were used. From what I can tell, this jardiniere never held soil or a plant as the inside is extremely clean showing no staining or residue from use. I also included a picture of a quarter inch spot on the bottom rim where the glaze slightly bubbled during firing, a non-issue. The highlight of any Irish Belleek collection or a major show stopper on any shelf. Due to the value and fragility of this example, it will be specially wrapped, double boxed and shipped fully insured at a fixed price. Please view all pictures as they are considered part of the description. Please check back to my listings often as I will be posting numerous find examples of glass, pottery and porcelain in the near future. Thank you.

Price: 1295 USD

Location: Hart, Michigan

End Time: 2024-08-18T21:05:02.000Z

Shipping Cost: 65 USD