Introduction to Vases

I have no idea who first picked a flower and placed it in a holder, for the simple pleasure of having it in their dwelling. Certainly it was a well-established custom by the time the Romans and Greeks were making their mark on civilisation. Perhaps it was the Chinese or did some cave girl move beyond the realms of basic survival and into that of intellectual pleasure – and at what stage did a purposely-fashioned holder replace a utensil? Whatever the case, vases and flower holders have become a major outlet for ceramic art and design, and potters in all ages and all over the world have devoted much time and effort to their manufacture. The Belleek Pottery has been no exception to the rule and from its birth in 1857 to the present day; many of its products have been designed to compliment the flower.

Flower arranging, as we know it today, can be traced back to the banquets given in the Royal Courts of Europe in the Middle Ages. The meal was served “A la francaise” – that is to say the food for the two main courses was laid on the table along with fruit, sweetmeats and foliage which would have been arranged in either silver or glass containers. The diners would then help themselves to what ever they wanted.

Fashion changed and early in the 19th Century aristocratic society began to serve food “a la russe”, (following the style of the Russian ambassador to France) whereby each course was brought to the table separately. This resulted in unaccustomed space being left on the table, which was then filled with elaborate silver and glass table decorations and which also allowed flowers to be added to the setting. The Prince Regent, later Kind George IV, enjoyed having fresh flowers in the house and so endorsed this fashion for lowers n the table. Also, with the advent of conservatories and greenhouses, it was possible to grow exotic flowers and fruit, and although the cost was prohibitive, it was a status symbol to serve pineapple or some such fruit, which had come from the greenhouses. It was a luxury only the rich could afford.

The Victorian Era and the Industrial Revolution brought about great social change and a dramatic enlargement of the middle class. Status was very important and to establish one’s standing in society, a knowledge and adherence to etiquette was vital. Amongst the many taboos, ladies were not permitted to dine out in public. Instead they entertained at home, bringing their friends into that which enabled them to exhibit the financial success of the family. Much was written about the subject. Mrs Beeton, the famous cookery authoress, recommended flowers for the table centre, and in 1862 a certain Miss Maling published one of the first books to be written wholly on the subject of flower arranging. Everyone became preoccupied with possessions and filled their homes with furniture and ornaments, including vases.

It was at the height of these “revolution” that the Belleek Pottery started production. To begin with, the Pottery only made earthenware, which was cheap and easy to produce. This enabled Robert Williams Armstrong (one of the founders and Art Director) to experiment on the production of finer items with which to compete in this very lucrative market. The technical and logistic difficulties were considerable, not least that of obtaining coal for the kilns. Eventually however the problems were solved and the Pottery won orders from Queen Victoria. When she began to buy from Belleek, others followed suit. There is an illustration in Robert Williams Armstrong ’s Album of an Echinus tea set with a caption informing the reader it was for “Her Majesty Queen Victoria”. Another shows a complete dessert service with the caption. “The Prince of Wales Dessert Service”.

Annie Williams Armstrong (Robert Williams’ wife) was a landscape paintress and designer, who exhibited at the Royal Hibernian Academy between 1844 and 1847, before marrying Armstrong and becoming a major influence on Belleek design. William Gallimore, who came to Belleek as chief modeller from the Goss Pottery, had studied at The Stoke on Trent Art School before going on to train further with eminent model and figure makers of the time. Between them, these two were responsible for over five hundred designs and their work overlapped to such an extent that it is often impossible to say who designed what. It is thought that Annie Armstrong was the inspiration for most of the marine designs but William Gallimore, who almost certainly brought over from Goss some designs like the Bust of Charles Dickens, may well have done the same with the Nautilus Shell. What ever the source, these and the other designers turned out a wealth of products, amongst them the many flower holders ad vases in this book, and it is interesting to note how many of these designs have stood the test of time. The Belleek Pottery has withdrawn and reintroduced many of the pieces, sometimes making small changes here or there but the basic idea can be traced back to those first designers.