Introduction
Welcome to the Miami University Art Museum Belleek Pottery Collection, consisting of various pottery including tea sets, vases, dishes, and statues.
Belleek Pottery was established in Co. Fermanagh, Ireland, in 1857. It was founded by John Caldwell Bloomfield, the owner of the land, Robert Williams Armstrong, the architect and builder of the original factory, and David McBirney, the financial backer of the company. Although the company originally produced a wide range of earthenware goods, the ambition of the three founders was to make porcelain goods, and this goal was realized in late 1863. The company has since had multiple owners, and during the World Wars mainly produced earthenware, but continues to produce high-quality parian goods. Parian is a white biscuit porcelain that is primarily associated with figure modeling.
The Belleek Pottery Collection is a bequest of Dr. Robert E Gregg. Dr. Gregg generously donated his collection of Belleek Pottery, which contains a wide selection of the world-famous Belleek Basketware and other rare items. He was honored by Belleek Pottery in 1988 for the extensiveness of his collection, which contained over 450 pieces, with the Belleek Chain of Honor.
The Miami University Art Museum is pleased to introduce the first entirely digital exhibition of this collection.
Initial exhibit created by Celia Bugno, Collections Intern Spring 2018