The Most Frequently Asked Questions about Vases

What styles of vases are most common?

Among the fragments of archaeological digs, one of the things that inspire us the most is the remains of ancient pottery from countries like Greece and China. Today, most of our choices are manufactured, not made by hand, but we still have a vast array of styles, colors, and materials to pick from, including the following:

• Vintage - Pieces made in the style of a particular time or place
• Classic - Timeless pieces that never go out of style
• Oriental - Colorful pieces, often ceramic, with intricately painted designs
• Urban - Contemporary pieces, often textured with a hand-thrown, earthy look

What if I like antiques but can't find them?

Whether you want to find something that evokes a long-ago memory of your grandmother's living room or an art deco piece to complement your mission-style furniture, you are in luck. Antiques, especially the specific ones you have your heart set on, may be hard to find, but that doesn't mean you can't find a vintage design in the shape, color, and size you're looking for. A few of the many vintage styles include the following:

• Aged white ceramic with black lettering reminiscent of an apothecary or country store
• Pressed glass bud types that come in the colors and shapes of antique depression glass
• Blue and white ceramic copies of Chinese pottery
• Shimmery metallic pieces that look like antique mercury glass
• Clear glass containers that echo the look of milk bottles and farm jugs
• Hand-blown glass with bubbles and ripples that mimic the texture of old glass

What kinds of materials should I look for?

You can find almost anything you are looking for in glass or ceramic. Glass includes everything from lead crystal to hand-blown or pressed. In ceramics, you can find factory-made pieces in all sizes and shapes as well as rustic, hand-thrown pottery and replicas of art pottery from the early 20th century. You will see these materials far less often than ceramics and glass, cork, brass, iron, wood, porcelain, and metal.

Should I buy a small or large vase?

Sizes range from miniature bud vases to gigantic floor urns. For flower vases, keep this rule of thumb in mind: The length of the stems should not be longer than 1.5 times the height of the container. If you're using long-stemmed red roses with 20-inch stems, you can use a flower vase that is approximately 1 foot tall. For decorating purposes, often without flowers, consider the size of the display area and the use. Make sure a large vase is proportionate to the area around it.