The vase stands alone....

The vase stands alone

Sometimes the vase tells the whole story….

Sometimes the vase is prettier than the flowers.  It may not be a vase at all, but an imaginative piece begging to be a vase.  Here is a piece of cherry wood crafted in the North Carolina Highlands containing dried nigella pods (love-in-a-mist) and oregano flowers.

This charming fish plate, sauceboat and ladle tell a great story.  The ruby cockscomb in the sauceboat lends a velvety texture to the glossy china.  These ceramics are from Portugal, though the motif looks very Asian, like a big fat carp.

A stunning piece, the porcelain basket exudes a rough texture and very Armani-like color scheme of tans, taupe and gray.  The orderly, pristine white ranunculus play off the craggy openings in the basket which create a great rhythm from the hands of a master potter.

This cylinder has an almost Prussian blue specked glaze over a mustard brown. Above a dense band of blue in the middle, a fascinating ring of texture winds up to the opening.  This ceramic doesn’t attract attention until it is graced by the lyrical clematis branch.  

My favorite of Mimi’s favorites, this Spode cache-pot shimmers with vibrantly colored transferware  flowers in rich deep colors.  The picotee  carnations are custard colored with a burgundy edge picking up the tones of the container.  Though the carnations may be a little busy for the ceramic, I was drawn to their old fashioned quality  with the bold, almost Victorian design. 

Look around your house and let the vase do the work for a change.

Cheers!