A Guide to Vase Styles from Around the World
Vases are among humanity’s most enduring art forms. Beyond their function as vessels for water or flowers, they have long been symbols of ritual, wealth, craftsmanship, and cultural identity. This Ellermann Florist guide surveys prominent vase styles across civilizations and eras, highlighting their distinguishing forms, materials, and aesthetics.
1. Ancient Greece
Amphora – A tall, two-handled vessel with a narrow neck, used for storing wine, oil, and grains. Distinguished by elegant proportions and painted scenes of mythology or daily life.
Kylix – A wide, shallow drinking cup with two handles; interior often decorated with narrative images revealed as wine was consumed.
Krater – Large mixing vessel for diluting wine with water; broad-mouthed and heavy-bodied.
Key features: Red-figure and black-figure painting techniques, geometric patterns, and mythological storytelling.
2. China
Han Dynasty Funerary Vases – Earthenware with green lead glaze (proto-celadon), often placed in tombs for spiritual use.
Tang Dynasty Vases – Known for sancai (“three-color”) glazes in amber, cream, and green.
Ming Dynasty Blue-and-White Porcelain – Perhaps the most iconic style: cobalt blue underglaze on brilliant white porcelain, with motifs of dragons, flowers, and clouds.
Qing Dynasty Famille Rose – Soft pink enamel and pastel tones with detailed figurative or floral painting.
Key features: Refined porcelain, symbolic motifs (lotus, dragon, phoenix), and technical mastery in glazing.
3. Japan
Ikebana Vases – Designed for flower arranging, often minimalist to emphasize natural beauty. Forms include tall cylinders, shallow bowls, or asymmetric free shapes.
Satsuma Ware – Creamy earthenware with crackled glaze, richly decorated with gold and intricate scenes.
Hagi Ware – Subtle, rustic stoneware with soft, muted glazes, prized in tea ceremony aesthetics (wabi-sabi).
Key features: Harmony with nature, understated elegance, and links to ritual practices.
4. Ancient Egypt
Alabaster Vessels – Smooth, translucent stone vases used for perfumes, oils, and offerings.
Faience Vases – Bright blue-green glazed earthenware, symbolizing rebirth and life.
Canopic Jars – Functional ritual containers for preserving organs, with lids shaped as protective deities.
Key features: Symbolic materials, ritual function, geometric and lotus motifs.
5. Islamic World
Persian Lusterware – Earthenware or fritware with shimmering metallic glazes, often inscribed with poetry or abstract designs.
Iznik Vases (Ottoman Turkey) – White-glazed ceramics decorated in vivid cobalt, turquoise, and red with floral and arabesque motifs.
Key features: Emphasis on geometry, calligraphy, and abstract floral design; avoidance of figural imagery in many periods.
6. Pre-Columbian Americas
Moche Stirrup-Spout Vases (Peru) – Realistic ceramic vessels shaped like humans, animals, or mythological scenes, with a stirrup-like spout.
Maya Polychrome Vases (Mesoamerica) – Cylindrical vases painted with glyphs, deities, and ritual scenes.
Key features: Ritual symbolism, narrative illustration, and innovative sculptural forms.
7. Europe (Renaissance to Modern)
Italian Majolica – Tin-glazed earthenware with bright colors and Renaissance imagery.
Delftware (Netherlands) – Blue-and-white faience inspired by Chinese porcelain, often decorated with windmills, ships, or floral scenes.
Art Nouveau Vases (France, 1890s–1910s) – Organic, flowing forms in glass (Émile Gallé, Daum) or ceramics, often inspired by plants and insects.
Art Deco Vases (1920s–30s) – Bold geometry, stylized motifs, and luxurious materials (glass, bronze, porcelain).
Key features: Fusion of classical inspiration with innovation in form, technique, and decorative style.
8. Africa
Nok Terracotta (Nigeria) – Early sculptural vessels with stylized human and animal features.
Zulu Beer Vessels (South Africa) – Large, round clay pots (ukhamba) with textured surfaces for ritual and communal drinking.
Key features: Integration of utility with ritual and symbolic aesthetics, emphasis on texture and form.
9. Contemporary Styles
Studio Glass Vases – Pioneered by artists like Dale Chihuly; bold colors and fluid, sculptural designs.
Minimalist and Modern Ceramics – Scandinavian and Japanese-inspired simple forms, matte glazes, and emphasis on functionality.
Key features: Artistic self-expression, experimental materials, blending of tradition with innovation.
From the amphorae of ancient Greece to the luminous porcelains of China and the sculptural glass of today, vases serve as both vessels and storytellers. Each culture imbued its styles with symbolic meaning, technical mastery, and artistic vision, making the vase one of the most universal yet culturally distinct forms of art.
