Vintage Painted Vases
These vintage painted vases bring together delicate ceramic forms and rich pigments from across the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Vintage Painted Vases
When searching for vintage painted vases, buyers encounter a diverse selection ranging from nineteenth-century porcelain and earthenware to twentieth-century ceramic creations. The pieces listed on this page span multiple periods, including Victorian, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco eras, alongside traditional Asian styles such as Japanese Satsuma and Chinese porcelain.
The assortment includes decorative vessels, spill vases, and table lamps converted from earlier pottery. British porcelain works, Dutch Delftware, and continental glass pieces sit alongside oil and watercolour paintings depicting floral subjects in vases.
Buyers are most likely to meet ceramic and porcelain vessels adorned with hand-painted floral motifs, figurative scenes, or traditional blue and white patterns. These objects reflect the decorative tastes of periods stretching from the eighteenth century to the mid twentieth century.
How they were made
Maker's workshops utilised traditional ceramic bodies such as porcelain, earthenware, and faience, shaping them on the wheel or in moulds before firing. Artisans then applied colourful glazes, enamel, and gold leaf to decorate the surfaces.
Glass vessels in the evidence were hand-blown and subsequently hand-painted with enamels depicting scenes like cherubs or hunting subjects. Painted cast iron and wood also appear among the material records for decorative urns and vase supports.
Vintage Painted Vases Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for vintage painted 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.
A green glass vase from Bohemia arrives complete with a hand-painted fox hunting scene.
What varies in quality
Quality in these pieces rests upon the precision of the hand-painted detail and the crispness of the underlying ceramic form or glass body. Finer examples display intricate brushwork, controlled use of enamel and gold leaf, and balanced compositions.
The reputation of the pottery or studio, from Moorcroft and Royal Doulton to Japanese Satsuma workshops, distinguishes exceptional items from standard decorative wares. Preservation of the painted surface and glaze integrity further define the higher tier of the range.
Moorcroft·Doulton Lambeth·Crown Derby·Royal Doulton·H & R Daniel
The Vintage Painted Vases Glossary
- Satsuma
- A type of Japanese earthenware featuring a crackled pale ivory glaze decorated with polychrome enamels and gilt. It originates from the Satsuma Province.
- Delftware
- Tin-glazed earthenware associated with the Netherlands and England, typically painted in blue and white with landscapes or floral motifs.
- Spill vase
- A small upright vessel designed to hold taper candles or wooden spills used for lighting fires and lamps.
- Enamel
- Opaque or translucent glassy material fused to metal, glass, or ceramic surfaces through firing to provide colour and decoration.
- Table lustre
- An ornamental glass vase hung with cut glass prisms designed to reflect candlelight.
Vintage Painted Vases: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I identify a Satsuma vase?
Satsuma vases typically feature a distinctive cream-coloured crackle glaze underneath intricate hand-painted designs enriched with gold leaf.
Many examples originate from the Meiji period and showcase traditional Japanese figurative or floral motifs.
Were these vases used for flowers?
While many were made as functional vessels for display or holding stems, others served purely as decorative ornaments.
Spill vases had the specific domestic duty of holding wooden spills near a fireplace.
How do I care for painted glass?
Painted glass requires gentle dusting with a soft, dry cloth to protect the delicate enamel and gilt decoration.
Keep these pieces out of direct sunlight to prevent the pigments and colours from fading over time.
What is the difference between porcelain and earthenware?
Porcelain is fired at higher temperatures, resulting in a vitreous, non-porous body that is often translucent when held to light.
Earthenware uses a more porous clay body that requires an opaque glaze, such as tin-glaze on Delftware, to hold liquids.