Square Star Vase

Squared off at the foot and drawn out into a star in plan, this vessel changes character depending on where you stand. Face on it reads as a plain four-sided column; from the corner it becomes a spiked, radiating form with deep valleys running the full height of the body. That faceting catches whatever light is in the room and throws long shadows down the flanks, which is what stops a simple geometric shape looking flat on a shelf. It sits in the same family as the sculptural mid-century ceramics that used to live on sideboards and window ledges, and it works either as an object in its own right or as a holder for dried stems, seed heads, grasses or pampas. Supplied as a single file, it makes a straightforward first decorative print and repeats well at two or three sizes for a grouped display.