Face Vase 02

Sculptural vessels like this one borrow from the classical bust and then leave most of it behind. A human face rises out of one side of the form, brow and nose and lips modelled in soft relief, while the rest of the body stays a smooth column so the features carry all the attention. It is a piece that works perfectly well empty, which is the mark of a good decorative vessel. Stood on a mantelpiece, a windowsill or a hall table it reads as a small sculpture rather than as storage, and it takes dried stems, grasses or a few stalks of pampas happily enough if you want it filled. As the second design in a series of face vessels, it is aimed at anyone assembling a shelf of pieces that share a language rather than hunting for one standalone ornament.