Editor’s Pick
A recontextualised vase – where the ornamental becomes intentional.
Description
A post-functional ceramic object — deliberate, composed, and unapologetically ornamental.
This vase does not seek approval through utility. It refuses to serve, store, or assist. Instead, it asserts the relevance of form, gesture, and cultural memory. With sculpted floral appliqués and a silhouette rooted in rococo revival, it stands not as a vessel, but as a symbol.
In a design era dominated by neutrality and restraint, this object reclaims excess as a statement. Its presence is emotional, tactile, and unapologetically aesthetic.
No longer part of a decorative set.
No longer waiting to be filled.
This vase is complete in itself.
💭 Curatorial Note
Hand-shaped details, a pastel palette, and the theatricality of its base construction place this piece in a European lineage that stretches from Capodimonte to Dresden. Feminine, ornate, and once dismissed as outdated — today, it embodies an emerging counter-position: beauty as resistance.
There is a shift happening in the way we relate to objects. This vase reflects that. It resists purpose in favour of presence. It invites a different kind of value — one rooted in memory, materiality, and cultural context.
It is not nostalgic. It is aware.
Not ironic. But exacting.
A sculptural presence that speaks of tradition without replicating it.
A form that doesn’t flatter, but confronts.
♻️ Function Refused, Meaning Retained
This is not an upcycled object. It is a recontextualised one.
Its origin may lie in a mid-century domestic interior, likely Southern European. Perhaps a wedding gift, a mantelpiece piece, or simply part of a forgotten cabinet. Unmarked and long undervalued, it is now selected for what it insists on: staying visible, staying complex.
In curating this object, we acknowledge its refusal to adapt.
It doesn’t fit into today’s interiors — and that’s precisely its strength.
🌿 Provenance
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Found in Piedmont, Italy
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Likely production: Mid-20th century
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Tradition: Capodimonte-influenced decorative porcelain
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Handmade floral elements, no visible manufacturer’s mark
🔧 Material & Finish
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Cast ceramic body with sculptural florals
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Matte glaze with patina effect on the rim
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All original details preserved; no structural alterations made
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Each floral detail shows manual variation and painterly shading
📏 Dimensions
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Height: approx. 18 cm
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Width (incl. floral detail): approx. 20 cm
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Depth: approx. 16 cm
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Weight (unpacked): approx. 1.1 kg
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Shipping weight (packed): approx. 2.5 kg
📦 Shipping Info
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Ships from Italy
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Double-boxed with acid-free tissue and protective foam
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Standard EU shipping via Poste Italiane or DPD
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Express worldwide shipping (DHL/UPS) available upon request
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Estimated shipping cost to NL: from €15 (tracked)
🖼 Styling Tip
Place on a white plinth or in conversation with raw stone, oxidised metal, or brutalist ceramics. This vase thrives in contrast — in spaces where softness becomes a sculptural interruption.
🔖 Tags
#PostFunctionalObject #DecorativeResistance #CapodimonteRevived #CulturalMemory #ReclaimedAesthetics #ObjectWithPresence #TheatricalForm #AnneliesNuyEdit #CeramicWithoutPurpose
