2001 Belleek Porcelain Clamshell Plate with Original Packaging. Light pink coloring around the rim with a gilt edge. Marked on the underside. Comes in original box with pamphlet. 

Box Size: 11 1/2 x 11 3/4 x 2 in. 

Plate Size: 8 1/4 x 8 1/2 in. 

Belleek Pottery Ltd, founded in 1884 in Belleek, County Fermanagh, North Ireland, is renowned for its thin, slightly iridescent Parian porcelain ware made with a high frit content. Pottery in Belleek began around 1849 when John Caldwell Bloomfield, seeking employment for tenants after the Great Famine, partnered with architect Robert Williams Armstrong and merchant David McBirney. The factory, built in 1858, initially produced domestic ware; Parian pieces emerged by 1863 and were exported to Australia, Canada, and the U.S. by 1865. After the original owners died, local investors formed Belleek Pottery Works Company Ltd. Master craftsman Frederick Slater joined in 1893, and during the World Wars the company focused on earthenware. Post-WWII, Belleek returned to porcelain and switched from coal to electric kilns by 1952. The company changed ownership several times between Roger Troughton (1984), Powerscreen International (1988), and George G. Moore (1990), and expanded by acquiring Galway Crystal, Aynsley China, and Donegal Parian China. Today, Belleek employs over 600 people, producing 100,000 pieces annually and earning £30 million per year.

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