Table Mantel Vases
Table mantel vases are decorative vessels designed for prominent display on mantelpieces and parlour tables, bringing colour and height to a room.
Table Mantel Vases
Table mantel vases encompass a broad group of ornamental vessels and garnitures intended for display on furniture surfaces and mantelpieces. The selection frequently includes Victorian glass lustres, bronze pairs, and porcelain pieces from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Buyers encounter various formats here, ranging from pairs of green glass table lustres to Japanese bronze vases and French clock garniture sets. These items served both decorative and functional roles in period interiors, often arranged as matching pairs.
The objects span diverse stylistic influences, including Regency, Rococo Revival, Meiji Period, and French Revival aesthetics. Pieces frequently incorporate matching side vases or form part of larger clock sets.
Materials and construction
Metalwork forms another significant manufacturing method, utilising bronze, gilt bronze, brass, copper, and silver plating. Artisans employed casting, chasing, and cloisonné techniques to ornament urns, candelabra, and vase-shaped columns.
Table Mantel Vases Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for table mantel vases 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.
Listings feature items from the Victorian period, 19th Century, and early 20th Century, spanning glass, porcelain, bronze, and brass.
Judging quality in mantel pieces
Quality reveals itself in the crispness of chased decoration on metal mounts and the depth of colour in glass and porcelain bodies. Finer examples display meticulous hand-painted details and well-balanced proportions.
The integrity of paired sets and the preservation of original elements, such as crystal prisms on lustres or matching bases, distinguish superior examples from assembled or altered pieces.
Royal Vienna·Sevres
The Table Mantel Vases Glossary
- Table Lustre
- An ornamental glass vase fitted with a ring of hanging glass prisms that catch and reflect candlelight. They were popular on Victorian mantelpieces.
- Garniture Set
- A matched set of three or more ornamental vases or urns designed to be displayed together on a mantelpiece or sideboard. They often accompany a central clock.
- Cloisonne
- An ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects with coloured glass paste placed within compartments defined by bent wire strips. It requires firing and polishing to finish.
- Ormolu
- Gilt bronze ornamentation applied to furniture, clocks, and vases, popular in French decorative arts. The technique involves coating bronze with a mercury and gold amalgam.
- Rose Medallion
- A style of Chinese export porcelain decorated with panels of figures, birds, and flowers in pink and green enamel. Pieces frequently feature gilded highlights.
Table Mantel Vases: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a table lustre?
A table lustre is a decorative glass vase featuring a ring of suspended crystal prisms around the rim. These prisms catch and multiply the light from candles or gas lamps.
They were typically made in pairs to stand on either end of a mantelpiece or upon a parlour table during the Victorian era.
How were garniture sets used?
Garniture sets served as symmetrical decorative centrepieces on mantelpieces, usually consisting of a central clock flanked by two matching vases or urns. They created a balanced focal point in formal rooms.
Owners arranged them to frame the fireplace, often combining functional timekeeping with ornamental display.
What distinguishes Japanese Meiji bronze vases?
Meiji period bronze vases reflect the skilled metalwork techniques developed in Japan during the late nineteenth century. They often incorporate intricate patination and applied botanical motifs.
These pieces arrived in Europe as international trade expanded, appealing to collectors of exotic decorative arts.
How do I care for antique glass lustres?
Antique glass lustres require gentle cleaning with a soft, dry cloth to remove dust without damaging fragile crystal prisms. Harsh chemical cleaners can strip gilding or enamel decoration.
Handling should be minimal, particularly around the hanging drops which can easily detach or chip.