Flowers are a gift of nature that many people can appreciate endlessly.
They are abundant in our everyday landscape—on street corners, balconies, in offices, and, of course, at home.
That is precisely why the design of a vase is so important. A vase is a home for flowers and also influences the atmosphere of a living space. Size, shape, and color are key elements in choosing a container that can complete your desired floral arrangement.
When decorating a room with flowers and vases, we consider the season, the mood we wish to convey, and the ambiance we want to instill in the space. Having many elements to consider also means having many options. This makes buying a vase a very enjoyable experience.
In this article, we will detail the design and usage of pieces from three collections to provide you with new and interesting ideas for floral arrangements and interior decoration.
"Korokoro" (Rounded) Vases: Small Gifts for a Single Flower
The first collection we would like to introduce is the "Korokoro" vase collection. The name comes from the rounded, spinning-top shape. The contrast between the wide, rounded body and the short, narrow neck creates a charming and visually balanced form.
In fact, when I was thinking about the design of this vase, I wanted to create something small that would fit anywhere. Since many apartments in Japan are narrow, I was also thinking about people who don’t have much space at home. Even when choosing one as a gift, you don't have to worry about where to place a vase with your favorite flowers, regardless of whether the recipient lives in a large or small house.
The glazes used on these vessels are all natural in tone and relaxing, so I recommend placing them in spaces where you seek serenity and calm. Each color features subtle variations in hue and texture, lacking the coldness often found in somber colors, and giving each piece its own originality and warmth.
We use Shigaraki white clay for this vessel, and by keeping the base under the pale glaze white, we bring more light to the piece. The clay contains small stones, which add texture and create a more handmade, unique atmosphere.
The vases in this collection have quite narrow necks, making them perfect for a single flower ora small arrangement. Because every vessel features pale yet calm tones, they will not detract from the beauty of the flowers, even if the arrangement itself is simple in form or color.
Korokoro vases are a type of vessel that pairs well with any flower, can be used regardless of the season, and will not get in the way even in narrow spaces. You can choose them with confidence, whether for a gift or for your own home.
Click here to see the Korokoro vase series.
Large Vases: A Collection Inspired by the Mediterranean
Many of Tocoton Ceramics' designs are inspired by ancient Mediterranean cultures, such as those of Spain, Greece, and Italy. You can see these influences in the vases in our catalog and in shops that sell L'Artesanna pieces. For this reason, we often create works that feature the earth colors frequently seen in antique ceramics and simple yet presence-filled shapes.
Because the sea evokes images of light and serenity, white is always used in our Mediterranean vase collection. For anyone who wishes to enrich their space—be it an office, a building lobby, or a home—we recommend this type of piece, as it reflects natural light to illuminate the surroundings and gives the room a sense of spaciousness.
Precisely because they evoke natural light, these items shine in spring and summer, yet they also provide a touch of warmth during the colder seasons.
Furthermore, the pale colors of these pots will make the flowers look more beautiful and more intense, their pigments appearing more vivid and brightening the atmosphere.
Unlike solid, unchanging glazes, we always strive to ensure that different hues emerge through the way the glaze is applied and layered.
By doing so, we imbue the vases with the character of handwork and an antique style. These pieces call to mind the vases that adorned the homes of our ancestors long ago and were used for trade with countries along the Mediterranean coast.
Similarly, the colors applied entirely by hand create an uneven surface texture; when sunlight hits it, it gives birth to shadows and highlights, bringing life and movement to the piece along with the flowers.
What the techniques applied to these vessels have in common is that while they can be adapted to other works, no two finishes will ever be exactly the same. This is because the feel of the application changes due to various factors, such as the thickness of the material and the pressure applied by the hand when painting the color. By processing the clay in this way, we want to bring uniqueness to the piece, and by extension, to the interior where it is placed.
These vases stand apart from the common decor often seen in any interior design magazine, helping you to craft an environment that is uniquely your own.
Among the ways of coloring a vase, here are two methods we use.
One is to spray the liquid glaze using something like a straw.
The force of the breath, the distance from which the glaze is applied, and the layered coats form irreproducible landscapes. You can see the results in the image below.
Another is the technique of applying glaze with a sponge. Because of the porosity of the sponge, the liquid is not applied evenly over the entire surface, causing the luster of the glaze to vary in intensity depending on where the sunlight hits it. The image below is one of the vases where this method was used.
This collection can make a space feel fresher not just as a vessel, but when displayed as an object.
Black Vases: Also for Dried Flower Accents
The third collection we would like to introduce is the "Black Vase" series. These pieces are very special because of the way they are made and because they always yield unexpected results. We will explain their features in detail.
The unglazed pieces are fired with rice husks and charcoal, which makes the clay waterproof to a certain extent. After firing, they are boiled in a pot of rice-wash water. As the starch from the rice dissolves and enters the pores of the clay, it acts as a sealant. However, the vase may still be slightly permeable to water, so if you are displaying flowers in water, we recommend placing a small dish under the base of the vase.
Because they are not glazed, the texture of the earthenware is clearly visible. These pieces, which look like stones, will make the delicacy of the flowers stand out even more.
This series includes two completely different designs: vases with narrow necks made on a potter's wheel, and vases with irregular mouths and stone-like shapes.
If you are aiming for a more elegant and uncluttered interior, we recommend the items featuring narrow necks and straight lines. These bring a sense of stability and balance to the environment. Likewise, the fire produced by the charcoal and rice husks creates a lustrous patina, giving the piece a more refined appearance.
The irregularly shaped vases, in particular, are characterized by the fact that even though they are made of the same clay and fired at the same time, the flames result in completely different shades. Thus, you can see orange tones in one vase, while in another, the color shifts between black and white. Fire is an indispensable element in coloring these vases with light and shadow.
While they appear stone-like, this is because they were inspired by the mountains of Montserrat, which are a very important element in L’Artesanna’s imagination. Montserrat is characterized by its lack of vegetation and its exposed rock. Montserrat is a place of childhood memories for L’Artesanna, and its many stones are an inexhaustible source of design.
※Montserrat
A mountain with exposed rock faces located near Barcelona in Catalonia, Spain.
It has a jagged, saw-toothed shape.
It is home to the Abbey of Santa Maria de Montserrat, a Benedictine abbey that appears in the legend of King Arthur's Holy Grail. It is considered a sacred mountain and a pilgrimage site for Christians.
When considering the colors for the pieces, I decided on black out of a desire to communicate the depth of night and the natural silence of dark hours. Because the design given by the fire evokes different states of night due to its unpredictable intensity, each piece is named after a time of day.
The gray vase collection is intended for use with dried flowers, especially during the autumn and winter seasons. The dark tones of the clay harmonize well with the pale yet beautiful colors of dried flowers, bringing rest and tranquility.
These are recommended for rooms that center on earth tones and seek serenity. Because these vases have a very tactile quality and use natural pigments, we consider them sculptural objects as well. Therefore, we believe they are suitable as decorative items, going beyond their original role as vases.
Summary
We have analyzed three collections and offered ideas to complement your floral arrangements and expand the possibilities of your interior; what did you think?
You can view some of the vases featured here in our online shop, so please take a look. If you are interested in a specific piece that you cannot find on the website or is listed as out of stock, it may be available at a shop that collaborates with us. Please feel free to ask us where you can purchase the vase you are interested in.
Thank you very much for reading.