Art Deco Flower Vase
When my parents, Hilda and Ken, married in 1931, Art Deco was very much in fashion. A few years ago I visited Coleton Fishacre, the house near Dartmouth built in the Arts and Crafts styke for the D’Oyly Carte family, who made their fortune monopolising Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. As I walked into the sitting room, I felt as though I was entering a preserved and up-market version of my parents’ home: the room so thoroughly reflected their tastes at the time of the marriage. I noted in particular the furniture made of limed oak and the Clarice Cliff tableware — both of which will feature in later postings.
The golden orange vase fits exactly into this style. It needs a large space and tall flowers to show it at its best; and because of its size it is heavy when full of water and so rather alarming to use. We have found it too big for everyday use, so keep it stored away, ready for those times when gladioli, sunflowers, and other large display flowers are in season.
Elizabeth and I had a parallel experience to mine at Coleton Fishacre when we visited Louisiana Museum of Modern Art outside Copenhagen and saw the stainless steel and coloured glass in a modern Scandinavian style, some items exactly the same as wedding presents we received.
Next Post: Uncle Frank’s Alarm Clock