This is a rare and gorgeous Belleek cabaret tea service for four in the green Neptune design made by Belleek. The various pieces were made between 1863 and 1926, with most of them between 1891 and 1946. The service consists of a teapot, four teacups, saucers and cake plates, a milk jug and a sugar bowl, all placed on a large tray. Most items carry the 2nd Black Mark that was used between 1891 and 1926; the tray carries the 1st Black Mark, printed in black as well as impressed, that was used between 1863 and 1890; and the sugar bowl carries the 3rd Black Mark that was used between 1926 and 1946. 
 
If you ever thought Belleek fine china looks, sounds and feels unique, you are right. There is a back story to this extraordinarily fine Irish eggshell porcelain, which has an unusually high amount of "frit" and therefore is thinner and finer than any other china.
 
Pottery in Belleek (in the now Northern-Irish area of Fermanagh) had started in 1849 with John Caldwell Bloomfield, who was a wealthy land owner. During the Irish famine he realised that unless he would find a way for his tenants to make a profit off the land, they would starve. Agriculture had become impossible due to the diseases caused by mono culture. This caused millions to starve and more millions to leave. As an amateur mineralogist, John Caldwell Bloomfield realised that his land had exactly the right mineral deposits to be used as clay for porcelain. He involved several investors and scientists and after many years of research, trial, error, the building of a railway line to import coal from England, and building a factory, the Belleek pottery resulted, employing the local people and soon producing the finest china made with clay from the Belleek area. 
 
What had started as a way to fend off famine among the local tenants had became a story of incredible success by the 1880s as Queen Victoria fell in love with the fine white china and the many homely, slightly bizarre but nature-loving designs; this was different from English tradition, yet it was very much to the taste of the British who had developed a real love for home-made fine china since it was introduced in the late 18th Century. Soon the English nobility started to place big orders and the pottery is still flourishing today and selling its wares the world over, while in England most potteries have long disappeared.
 
The Neptune series is one of the most classic and popular designs Belleek has made and could be found in many Irish households. Many Belleek designs are inspired by nature rather than by fashion: there are sea shells, froth, kelp, tree roots and bark, corals and woven baskets. The Neptune series is entirely inspired by the sea. Each detail is true to the concept; the surface is wonderfully fluted like the waves of the sea, and the little feet of each item, as well as the finial of the teapot are shaped like shells. The handles are made like coral. The belly of the teapot is shaped like the waves of the sea, with the froth of the surf coming around the shoulder of the pot. And of course the colour is like the beautiful green of the Irish Sea on a stormy day. This set takes you into the Irish Sea, and it never fails to inspire your imagination.
 
The tea service is made in a beautiful cream-white colour with a mint green wash. As every Belleek collector knows, no two items are exactly the same, so there are small variances, which make it all the more charming. 
 
DOCUMENTATION: an image of a very similar but smaller cabaret set in pink can be found on page 49 of Richard Degenhardt's Belleek - The Complete Collector's Guide and Illustrated Reference. 
An image of a similar smaller cabaret set in green can be found on page 121 of Marion Langham's "Belleek Irish Porcelain - an illustrated guide to over two thousand pieces"; the same book also shows this set in the Belleek Pottery Catalogue of the year 1904 on page 165.
 
CONDITION REPORT The entire set is in excellent antique condition with only one minor flaw; there is a chip off the underside of the tray, which is not visible when in position.
 
Antique porcelain is never perfect. Kilns were fired on coal in the 1800s, and this meant that china from that period can have some firing specks from flying particles. British and Irish makers were also known for their experimentation, and sometimes this resulted in technically imperfect results. Due to the shrinkage in the kiln, items can have small firing lines or develop crazing over time, which should not be seen as damage but as an imperfection of the maker's recipes, probably unknown at the time of making. Items have often been used for many years and can have normal signs of wear. I will reflect any damage, repairs, obvious stress marks, crazing or heavy wear in the item description but some minor scratches, nicks, and stains can be normal for vintage items and need to be taken into account.
 
There is widespread confusion on the internet about the difference between chips and nicks, or hairlines and cracks. I will reflect any damage as truthfully as I can, i.e. a nick is a tiny bit of damage smaller than 1mm and a chip is something you can easily see with the eye; a glazing line is a break in the glazing only; hairline is extremely tight and/or superficial and not picked up by the finger; and a crack is obvious both to the eye and the finger. Etcetera - I try to be as accurate as I can and please feel free to ask questions or request more detailed pictures!
 
DIMENSIONS  The pot stands 12cm (4.75") high to the top of the finial, measures 22cm (8.75") from handle to spout; teacups 9cm (3.5")diameter; saucers 13cm (5.15") diameter; cake plates 15.2cm (6") diameter; bowl 10cm (4") diameter; milk jug 11cm (4.25") from handle to spout; tray 45.5cm X 36cm (17.75" X 14.25").