Blue Decorative Vase
A blue decorative vase brings cobalt depth and painterly form to a room, ranging from grand Japanese Imari floor pieces to delicate Victorian porcelain.
Blue Decorative Vase
A blue decorative vase encompasses everything from classical porcelain urns to earthenware jugs and stoneware jardinieres spanning multiple centuries.
The pieces on this page draw from nineteenth-century production, Regency elegance, and early twentieth-century movements like Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
Originating across European potteries and Asian export workshops, these vessels serve as focal points in domestic interiors through their varied scales and profiles.
Materials and technique
Makers shaped these objects using porcelain, earthenware, stoneware, and terracotta, applying coloured glazes, enamel, and metallic leaf.
Techniques range from cloisonne wirework on copper bodies to intricate hand-painting over cobalt underglazes and bronze mount additions.
Blue Decorative Vase Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for blue decorative vase among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Some nineteenth-century porcelain vessels enjoyed second lives as converted table lamps.
Judging the work
Quality rests upon the precision of the hand-painted detail, the depth of the glaze, and the crispness of any applied bronze or gilt mounts.
Stronger examples display balanced proportions and assured brushwork, whereas lesser pieces show mechanical transfer printing or flat, uninspired coloration.
Royal Doulton·Spode·Flight Barr And Barr·Royal Crown Derby·Moorcroft
The Blue Decorative Vase Glossary
- Cloisonne
- Enamel work created by soldering wire compartments onto a metal base before firing.
- Imari
- Japanese export porcelain decorated in underglaze blue, iron red, and gold.
- Jardiniere
- An ornamental ceramic pot designed to hold a live plant or floral arrangement.
- Faience
- Tin-glazed earthenware produced in Europe, particularly associated with French and Italian traditions.
- Garniture
- A matched set of three or more vases or vessels designed to be displayed together on a mantelpiece or cabinet.
Blue Decorative Vase: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a garniture?
A garniture is a matched set of three or more vases or jars made to sit together as a decorative mantel display.
Historically, these sets anchored formal reception rooms during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
How do I date a porcelain vase?
Dating relies on identifying factory marks on the underside, combined with stylistic clues from the glaze and decorative motifs.
Pottery bodies and manufacturing techniques also shift across decades, offering clear chronological markers.
Where should I place a large floor vase?
Large floor vases suit empty corners, entrance hallways, or flanking a fireplace where their height commands the space.
Stability is key, so choose locations away from heavy foot traffic to protect the ceramic body.
What is clobbered porcelain?
Clobbered porcelain refers to older white and blue export wares that received secondary overglaze decoration in Europe later on.
Importers added extra colours and gilt highlights to appeal to changing domestic tastes.