Extremely rare Belleek \"Raphaelesque\" (paint, tint, gilt) Figure of Erin c. 1872
![Extremely rare Belleek \](img-large/g/IO8AAOSw-jhT~3Ob/s-l1600/Extremely-rare-Belleek-Raphaelesque-paint-tint-gil.jpg "Extremely rare Belleek \")
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Extremely rare Belleek \"Raphaelesque\" (paint, tint, gilt) Figure of Erin c. 1872:
$16000.00
Also known as \"Hibernia awakens from her slumbers\", an iconic piece of pure Victorian romanticism designed by William Boyden Kirk (1824-1900) that commemorates Ireland\'s embryonic entry into the world of industry. Bisque and glazed porcelain, delicately painted, tinted & gilded, with Belleek First Black Mark under base. Note old repairs made to a few of her fingers, possibly at the factory. In addition to posted photos, view high resolution 360 degree video \"Erin.mov\" available on YouTube http://youtu.be/OsEOl1EP98E .Mr. Fergus Cleary, Head of Design at Belleek, judges this figurine to be \"a very early first mark Figure of Erin. The piece we believe was designed for the Dublin Exposition in 1872... After 1883 most of these decorations were dropped as they were very expensive to produce and often involved multiple firings increasing the risk of damage\" and \"likely to be one of a very few or perhaps only one of a kind!\"Researchers at the Belleek UK Collectors club wrote \"We don\'t feel this colour treatment was a one-off as it is priced in the photo of Erin from the BelleekOld Photogram album, but yours might be the only one that has survived!We have seen a few Raphaelesque smaller figures (Affection, Meditation etc.) but nothing as important as Erin. We feel that she is probably early, maybe just after she was introduced in 1872... She is a very rare piece indeed.\"Fewer than 100 of the plain, white versions of the statue were ever produced, including those held by the British Museum and National Museum of Ireland. Only this one decorated example, from the Patricia Santry collection, is known to exist. Irish national identity was asserting itself in the nineteenth centuryand symbols taken from the past played a significant role. The Celticcross has fallen, the Gaelic chieftain\'s harp is abandoned on theground and the mythical figure of Hibernia represents Ireland affirmingindependence and a discrete national identity from Britain. This lovely, historic and extremely rare work of art embodies the aspirations of a talented group of Irish craftsmen, who created a forward-looking colleen to announce their vision to the world.Buyer is responsible for the actual costs of all packing materials, shipping, insurance, delivery confirmation and extra services, as well as any applicable federal, state, country, city, Value Added Tax (VAT), or equivalent taxes.
Extremely rare Belleek \"Raphaelesque\" (paint, tint, gilt) Figure of Erin c. 1872:
$16000.00