American Belleek Porcelain
American Belleek porcelain is characterized by a thin, highly translucent feldspathic body, finished with a thin, pale pearly glaze.
While American Belleek is a recent development, compared to other types of porcelain, it does have an interesting background. It traces a beginning back to Philadelphia and the Centennial Exhibition of 1876. A display of very thin, lightweight glazed Irish Belleek drew much attention from the visiting public. This interest resulted in a number of efforts to produce Belleek in this country in the following ten to fifteen years. Upon learning that American manufacturers were trying to perfect the new porcelain, and facing uncertain economic times at home, a few of the original Irish Belleek workers traveled to America. They went from factory to factory assisting the Americans wherever they needed to get the quality desired for their American Belleek patterns.
These first examples of American Belleek were exact replicas of the Irish Belleek, possibly even daintier. Soon, however, American Belleek branched out in new directions, incorporating Oriental, Indian, French, Dutch and countless other designs and combinations.
The Willets Manufacturing Company started manufacturing Belleek in 1879 with the help of the traveling Irish artisans. The firm became so proficient that it was soon competing with Limoges, Dresden, and other foreign companies. Their wares included small picture frames, openwork bottles, pitchers and items similar to the Irish wares. The company went into receivership in 1909. There is some history to indicate that they attempted to operate for a while longer but finally gave it up in 1912.
In 1882, the Trenton, New Jersey firm of Ott and Brewer (established 1867) developed their Belleek ware through the efforts of William Bromley, an Irishman, and Walter Scott Lenox, a native of Trenton. Among many wares, they made cups and saucers so delicate that a set of one dozen weighed barely a pound. They discontinued operations in 1893.
In 1889, Walter Lenox in partnership with Jonathan Coxon, founded the Ceramic Art Company (C.A.C.) in Trenton. This company sold large quantities of china blanks to professional and amateur artists as well as producing art pieces. They had a huge success at the World’s Colombian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago where they displayed a Belleek vase resembling porcelain bisque into which one of their lady artisians had carved intricate designs of flowers and children with a jackknife.
Knowles, Taylor and Knowles began manufacturing a Belleek type porcelain that they called Lotus Ware after 1889. It was extremely expensive to manufacture and not much in demand at that time so they ceased producing Lotus Ware in 1896.
Belleek porcelain was also produced by another Trenton firm, the Columbian Art Pottery (also known as Morris & Wilmore, established 1876), beginning in 1893. The firm operated until 1902.
In 1896 Lenox became the sole owner of the Ceramic Art Company and the Lenox name was added to the C.A.C. bottom stamp.
By the early 1900′s the C.A.C./Lenox company was a successful manufacturer of table service china. During this period many other specialized and art type C.A.C. Belleek items were discontinued to allow for further expansion into the manufacture of this dinnerware. In 1906, Walter Scott Lenox reorganized C.A.C. into Lenox, Inc. and, with potters brought from the Ireland Belleek factory, manufactured belleek-type china until 1930. The Lenox China was so highly regarded it became the official White House China in 1914. Walter Lenox died in 1920, blind and paralyzed, but he left behind a successful business that continues to the present time.