This is a stunning antique hand painted American Belleek Floral Art Stein, circa 1900. This beautiful stein is the height of grace. Painted upon a stunning Belleek mold, the ruby tea roses, originating in a sumptuous dark cocoa color at the top, form a luxurious cascade across the soft cream background of the porcelain face of the mug, nearly encircling the entire piece. The depth of the roses and the mistiness of the 'shadow' leaves are remarkable, and the swirling spiral motion of the composition is simply enchanting. On the elegantly scrolled handle are two more deep ruby roses with dark green foliage, adding the perfect balancing element to this stein. A truly proportioned composition flows seamlessly from one element to the next, and this piece illustrates just that seamlessness in subject, structure and color. This is, from beginning to end, a perfectly executed porcelain painting upon a gracefully elegant century old American Belleek china mold.

It is in excellent condition, sterling investment quality fine Art-Porcelain, with the china painting beautifully preserved within a lustrous glass overglaze finish.
5 3/4" tall x 5 1/2" across handle x 4-1/4" base.
Bears a CAC BELLEEK pottery hallmark in blue green.

American Belleek porcelain is of the same late 19th Century and early 20th Century vintage as is most French Limoges porcelain and other comparable European porcelains, and it is also of the very highest quality. American Belleek was made primarily by several separate companies once located in Trenton, New Jersey and is one of the finest antique porcelains, admired for its beautiful natural creamy color and soft glaze which allowed for deeper penetration of the vitrifiable china paint colors during their fire in the kiln, thus American Belleek has a slightly softer appearance to the finished china paintings than the 'hard paste' porcelains from Limoges, France.

© 2007 Rosenquist Collection