Tulip vase
Encyclopedia
A tulip vase, or pyramid vase, is a vase
designed to put cut flowers
and especially tulips in, but it primarily serves as a decorative showpiece. They were first made in The Netherlands in the 17th century and were decorated with Delfts blauw or Chinese decoration. Replicas of the original tulip vases were made in China
and were imported by the Dutch East India Company
.
faience known for its specific blue colour which is used to decorate the earthenware
. Delftware originated from the attempt to imitate Chinese porcelain
; the Dutch potters tried to copy it, but they did not succeed.
The stackable tulip vases were made like that because the potters weren't able to make the vase out of one piece around 1700; it would collapse while firing it. Tulips were introduced in the Netherlands at the end of the 16th century; the flowers came from Turkey
and became a very expensive, fashionable flower. To this day tulips are very popular flowers.
Sometimes the pyramid vases were not used as flower vases at all, just as showpieces.
during the summer and the smaller vases would be placed on the table on a festive occasion.
Vase
The vase is an open container, often used to hold cut flowers. It can be made from a number of materials including ceramics and glass. The vase is often decorated and thus used to extend the beauty of its contents....
designed to put cut flowers
Cut flowers
The term cut flower refers to flowers or flower buds that have been cut from the plant bearing it. It is usually removed from the plant for indoor decorative use. Typical uses are in vase displays, wreaths and garlands...
and especially tulips in, but it primarily serves as a decorative showpiece. They were first made in The Netherlands in the 17th century and were decorated with Delfts blauw or Chinese decoration. Replicas of the original tulip vases were made in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and were imported by the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
.
History and origin
The tulip vase is a form of DelftwareDelftware
Delftware, or Delft pottery, denotes blue and white pottery made in and around Delft in the Netherlands and the tin-glazed pottery made in the Netherlands from the 16th century....
faience known for its specific blue colour which is used to decorate the earthenware
Earthenware
Earthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects.-Types of earthenware:Although body formulations vary between countries and even between individual makers, a generic composition is 25% ball clay, 28% kaolin, 32% quartz, and 15%...
. Delftware originated from the attempt to imitate Chinese porcelain
Chinese porcelain
Chinese ceramic ware shows a continuous development since the pre-dynastic periods, and is one of the most significant forms of Chinese art. China is richly endowed with the raw materials needed for making ceramics. The first types of ceramics were made during the Palaeolithic era...
; the Dutch potters tried to copy it, but they did not succeed.
The stackable tulip vases were made like that because the potters weren't able to make the vase out of one piece around 1700; it would collapse while firing it. Tulips were introduced in the Netherlands at the end of the 16th century; the flowers came from Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and became a very expensive, fashionable flower. To this day tulips are very popular flowers.
Sometimes the pyramid vases were not used as flower vases at all, just as showpieces.
Designs
Tulip vases can be round, square or oval and they are made in different sizes; the big ones have multiple floors and consist of loose stackable watertight elements and can be up to more than 1.5 metres high. At every level of the vase, one can insert flowers in the appropriate spouts around the vase. The big tulip vases were used to decorate the hearthHearth
In common historic and modern usage, a hearth is a brick- or stone-lined fireplace or oven often used for cooking and/or heating. For centuries, the hearth was considered an integral part of a home, often its central or most important feature...
during the summer and the smaller vases would be placed on the table on a festive occasion.