vase
Quick Summary
A vase is a vessel, typically round and deeper than it is wide, used primarily for decoration or holding flowers. Vases are considered part of the decorative arts, which encompass the design and embellishment of objects valued for their utility as well as their aesthetic qualities. This category includes items like ceramics, glassware, furniture, and textiles.12
Historically, in ancient Greece, art and craft were not distinguished linguistically, with both referred to as technē. While many ancient Greek vase paintings have been lost, they provide valuable insight into the development of Greek draftsmanship and often depicted subjects that reflected contemporary events. The selection of a vase is an integral part of floral arrangement design, with its scale, color, and texture needing to complement the flowers.34
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floral decorationTechniquesIn silver vases, melted paraffin is used as a fastener, for, unlike clay, it will not tarnish the container and can be removed easily with hot water. Crumpled chicken wire, or wire netting, is frequently stuffed into vases as an aid to support, and a water-absorbing plastic…
Read MoreIn silver vases, melted paraffin is used as a fastener, for, unlike clay, it will not tarnish the container and can be removed easily with hot water. Crumpled chicken wire, or wire netting, is frequently stuffed into vases as an aid to support, and a water-absorbing plastic…
Read More- floral decorationJapan
…confined to arrangements in tall vases, and heika, vase flowers, is preferred to nageire by some schools. Shōka utilized three main branches, and emulated the natural growth of plant life. This illusion of growth was achieved by using buds, foliage, and blossoms; by superimposing stems as they emerged from the…
Read More…confined to arrangements in tall vases, and heika, vase flowers, is preferred to nageire by some schools. Shōka utilized three main branches, and emulated the natural growth of plant life. This illusion of growth was achieved by using buds, foliage, and blossoms; by superimposing stems as they emerged from the…
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Aegean civilizationsThe Early Bronze Age (c. 3000–2200)The art of making stone vases flourished in the Cyclades from the beginning of the Bronze Age. The techniques used were simple and included boring with a hollow reed, which twirled an abrasive, either emery from Naxos or sand. The people of the Cyclades used their fine white marble not…
Read MoreThe art of making stone vases flourished in the Cyclades from the beginning of the Bronze Age. The techniques used were simple and included boring with a hollow reed, which twirled an abrasive, either emery from Naxos or sand. The people of the Cyclades used their fine white marble not…
Read More- Aegean civilizationsA new social order
…stiff, formal “Palace Style” of vase decoration, using motifs derived from the earlier plant and marine styles, may reflect an adaptation of Cretan fashions to mainland tastes. The old clan tombs went out of use in the Knossos region and were replaced by rock-cut tombs. Some of these contain the…
Read More…stiff, formal “Palace Style” of vase decoration, using motifs derived from the earlier plant and marine styles, may reflect an adaptation of Cretan fashions to mainland tastes. The old clan tombs went out of use in the Knossos region and were replaced by rock-cut tombs. Some of these contain the…
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metalworkPre-MycenaeanTrojan vases have bold and simple forms, mostly without ornament; but some are lightly fluted. Many are wrought from single sheets of metal. The characteristic handle is a heavy rolled loop, soldered or riveted to the body. Bases are sometimes round or pointed, sometimes fitted with…
Read MoreTrojan vases have bold and simple forms, mostly without ornament; but some are lightly fluted. Many are wrought from single sheets of metal. The characteristic handle is a heavy rolled loop, soldered or riveted to the body. Bases are sometimes round or pointed, sometimes fitted with…
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Western paintingAncient GreekContemporary vase paintings—so long as vase painting continued—often depict the same subjects and sometimes faintly reflect the style and composition of monumental frescoes, but they were in no sense accurate or even deliberate copies. The paintings on vases, now the main evidence for the development of…
Read MoreContemporary vase paintings—so long as vase painting continued—often depict the same subjects and sometimes faintly reflect the style and composition of monumental frescoes, but they were in no sense accurate or even deliberate copies. The paintings on vases, now the main evidence for the development of…
Read More- Western paintingLate Classical (c. 400–323 bce)
In Athens, red-figure vase painting was in decline, and the majority of vases were painted using much added color and gilding. Occasionally there is a glimpse of brilliant line drawing, but the technique barely survived the century.
Read MoreIn Athens, red-figure vase painting was in decline, and the majority of vases were painted using much added color and gilding. Occasionally there is a glimpse of brilliant line drawing, but the technique barely survived the century.
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Greek religionReligious art and iconographyFor the details of ritual, vase painting has proved a fruitful source of information. Dionysiac subjects are common, though usually imaginary, but cult scenes and fertility customs also appear.
Read MoreFor the details of ritual, vase painting has proved a fruitful source of information. Dionysiac subjects are common, though usually imaginary, but cult scenes and fertility customs also appear.
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