Topic: Why are they called 'Bow Tie' or 'Dovetail' vases

[Jay Kaner]

there's something I've wanted to ask about the design influences on some of the Poli/Murano pieces, specifically the 'Dovetail, or 'Bow tie' style vases he designed.

But before i do that, I'll try and explain where I'm coming from with all this...

Now some of the pieces I have, and like some of those featured on the fossilfly website above, for example, are called 'Beak' vases (tho' fossilfly  calls them "V neck").  That's fair enough. The 'Beak' style was a popular design motif of the 50's.  Here's a couple of ceramic vases, made sometime between 1957 and 1961 that I own that have the classic 'Beak' style to them...

http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-4010

Then some other pieces I have, like say this one...

http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-3453

Or...

http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-3469

and the fossilfly "Spout" vases, have that classic 50's organic, aysmmetrical design to them that, again, was huge influence on many things in the 50's.

Here's a couple more ceramic vases I have to help illustrate this...

http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-4011

I mean, I can understand the design influences behind these 'styles' so far.
But what I don't get, and this is the point of all this (yeah, I know...finally!!  :wink: ) is the "Bow tie" vases, and why they are so named. (Or Dovetails as I've also seen them named)   I mean, the bow tie wasn't much of a design influence in the 50's.

I've always thought they had more of a 'Atomic bomb' shape and style to them.  Now bearing in mind the dawning of the atomic age in the 50's, and the huge influence that had on 50's design, then would it not be fair to say that it was this that had more to do with the design influence behind these style vases than ...say...bow ties?  :wink:

Here's a piccy of the bomb "Fatman" to show what I mean...

http://mothra.rerf.or.jp/Images/giff/fatman.gif

(obviously I had to google this piccy as, unlike with my ceramic vases, I don't have one of my own to illustrate where I'm coming from...too big for the mantlepiece, you know!!  :lol: )

I've always assumed this was the influence behind the 'bow tie' vases, but does anybody know for sure?

I'd be really interested to hear your views on this...

[David E]

Not sure, but I started calling them 'Bow-tie' a year or so ago. This was in the absence of any obvious name to call them.

[Jay Kaner]

Not sure, but I started calling them 'Bow-tie' a year or so ago. This was in the absence of any obvious name to call them.

Yeah, I'm sure I've seen them being called 'bow ties' longer than that, too.
I can understand why they get that name. Their resemblence to bow ties is good enough for that name to work.  But like I said, given the period they were designed in, and the various influences on artists at that time, then there's a good chance the A bombs could've been the influence behind them.  

Then again, hankerchief vases make me wonder that, if somebody could design a vase on a hankerchief, then maybe someone could design a vase on a bow tie.  Who knows!!

Until I know for sure I'll just keep on thinking of them as A bomb vases.  It just seems a cooler name, and one they deserve.  :wink:

[alexander]

Here's a fun one, I was perusing Formia's modern catalogue and found the are making dovetails today - they have named them...Fifi  

I'm gonna stick to dovetails  :wink:

Alexander