Belleek Fine Parian China B1185 Tall Celtic 5-Inch Limited-Edition Teapot

In 2007, renowned Irish company Belleek will release 15 limited edition pieces to commemorate the company\'s 150th anniversary. Each piece represents one decade from the company\'s history, and many historic forms are being revived after years of retirement for the Archive Collection. Only 600 Tall Celtic teapots will be made, each one numbered and backstamped, making this a true collector\'s item. Crafted in Ireland of fine parian china, the teapot is embossed with Celtic designs and hand-painted with red and green dragons in an Asian twist, and no two pieces are identical. Dating to the 1920s and originally given the prefix \"tall\" to distinguish it from a shorter version, the Celtic teapot measures five inches in height, and is best cared for when washed by hand. Parian china, invented in Great Britain in the 1840s for sculpting classical figurines, was particularly popular in Victorian times. Because of the china\'s marble-like translucence, the name derived from the Greek island of Paros, famous for its prized white marble. Distributed today by Reed & Barton, Belleek parian ware exhibits exceptional craftsmanship and is esteemed among collectors worldwide. --Ann Bieri (Amazon)