VESSELS OF LOVE

As the year’s most cherished and reviled holiday approaches and thoughts turn to gift giving and receiving once again, add a touch of creativity to flower bequeathing with these untraditional vases. Whether they’re upside down, hanging or unusually tall, these flower cradlers will allow you to skip the florist fees on Valentine’s Day and still put a smile on your loved one’s face. These top five picks are sure to make your love blossom:

1. Aorta Vase by Jonathan Adler Because nothing says I love you like flowers literally in an aorta. This cheeky iconic vase will be sure to get the message across and will be a cool conversation piece over time. Not to mention that this porcelain vase covered in a pure platinum glaze is made by local artisans at the Jonathan Adler workshop in Peru. The artisans were found through the program Aid to Artisans, which connects American artists with designers in developing countries to promote fair trade. Thus, this is a gift that will warm hearts both near and far.

2. Bud Vase Disc by Franz Maurer This smart stainless steel disc is meant to rest atop your own wine glass collection thereby turning it into a vase collection. Take one single stem flower and insert it through the disc and place atop your wine glass et voila! If you’re planning on doing a dinner at home and want to set the mood with minimal cost this is certainly the way to go and these discs fit on everything from mugs to champagne flutes allowing you to change the look for future occasions. Plus, at $20 a pop it won’t break your bank.

3. Lava Vase by Gaetano Pesce Is your heart burnin’ with love? Make a statement to your loved one by filling this beauty with blooms. This stand out piece is sure to melt the coldest of hearts and warm the iciest of rooms. New York City based designer Gaetano Pese has said of his work, “I have tried to communicate feelings of surprise, discovery, optimism, stimulation, sensuality, generosity, joy and femininity,” which is just the spirit you might be looking for this holiday. But, at $850 this vase might melt your wallet before it melts a heart.

4. Carved Vase by Emile Galle Big love should be rewarded with big gestures like this turn of the century French Art Nouveau vase from Antiguidades Francisco in Brazil. This stunning long stem vase at a hefty $15,000 is not only a work of art, but a collectible complete with the famed artist’s signature. Ditch the usual roses and go for some stunning long stem calla lillies for this vase, or better yet encourage your loved one to put this treasure behind glass.

5. Veil by Dan Tomimatsu Take the plunge with this unusual vase, which mimics the art of flower drying by highlighting the process through a single stem hung upside down and suspended through a stainless inside a clear vase. If this sounds like something you could make on your own, think again. The vase has been created with varying degrees of thickness so that it gives the illusion of the flower being suspended under water, thereby rethinking the art of traditional flower arrangement. Tomimatsu sites his inspiration from two works of art, Undercurrent by Bill Evans & Jim Hall and the painting Ophelia by John Everett Millais. This thought provoking vase will be a slightly dark, but no doubt profound gift for the one that drives you absolutely mad.
 

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This article was written by Paige Reddinger. Paige Reddinger is a freelance writer based in New York. Prior to venturing out onto her own to do freelance she worked as a writer at TIME Magazine's Style & Design issue under Kate Betts for two years. Born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama she graduated from Penn State University with a BA in English and French in 2005. Four the past four years she has resided in New York's East Village.