Famous Irish Pottery Built On
Individual Craftsmanship

The Belleek factory is an imposing three-story building, built on the Rose Isle, a very small island which is part of the village of Belleek. It is surrounded by the River Ene, which originally drove a mill wheel with enough power to grind the clay. Old Stuff photo

The Belleek pottery, now located in Northern Ireland, was founded in the early 1850s in the village of the same name.

John Caldwell Bloomfield had inherited the estate which included the village of Belleek in 1849, and in his search to find a way to help his tenants, those who had survived the potato famine, discovered the necessary ingredients for making pottery were all available on the estate.

There are several displays in the factory museum. The mirror included in this display is 22 inches high. Each petal and leaf were made individually and applied to the main body. Some flowers have more than 100 pieces. Old Stuff photo

At first, “necessary” items were produced including mortars and pestles, washstands, bedpans, floor tiles and telegraph insulators. However, early on the owners wanted to produce decorator items made by skilled craftsmen, and in this they were also successful.

By 1863 the Belleek pottery was producing a quality Parian ware, and by the mid-1860s, it was being exported to the United States, Canada and Australia.

During the years since that time, the company has undergone numerous ownership changes, and today it still is producing fine porcelain.

Baskets begin with thin strands of clay, which are then grouped and woven together. Flowers are formed of clay petals. Old Stuff photo

Collectors have long been interested in Belleek porcelain, and the years of production can be identified by the marks on the bottom.

Black marks are the oldest:

Belleek logo

The first three marks were black, and used from 1863 to 1946. Until 1890, it pictured a Harp, Hound and Castle; in 1891 the words “Co. Fermanagh, Ireland,” were added and in 1926, “Deanta in eirinn” was added.

The next three marks were green, and used from 1946 to March, 1980. The 4th mark was identical to the 3rd, except for the color. From 1955 to 1965, an R inside a circle was added to the green mark, and from 1965 to March of 1980, “Co. Fermanagh” was omitted.

A finished basket, with flower decora-tion. Old Stuff photo

The 7th mark was gold, and “deanta in Eirinn” was omitted. It was used from April of 1980 to the end of 1992.

Currently, blue marks are used. From 1993-1996, a blue version of the second mark was used, with an R inside a circle added. Since January of 1997, a blue mark with the Harp, Hound and Castle and the word “Belleek” has been used.

This Belleek piece is called the Figure of Erin. Old Stuff photo

Each piece made at the Belleek pottery is handled by the same craftsman from start to finish; there is no assembly line production here. Baskets start out with thin strips of clay that look like spaghetti. Several strips are laid side by side, and then these groupings of strips are woven together to form the bowl of the basket. The decorative flowers are made petal by petal and affixed to the basket, as are the leaves. No two pieces will ever be the same.

Figurines have also been a part of the art pieces produced. The largest, called the “Prisoner of Love,” is the largest ever made and was in the Belleek catalog from 1904 to 1920. It is made of over 30 separate mould parts which together form a young girl bound by chains of flowers.

A Belleek Collector’s Society was formed in 1979. It offers several benefits to members (there are now about 7,500 worldwide,) such as the opportunity to purchase limited edition pieces with the Society’s red stamp. Google “Belleek Collectors” for information.

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