Topic: What distinguishes a celery from a vase?

[KevinH]

When I visited lots of general "antiques & collectables" fairs in the UK (haven't done that for a while, now) most glass vases that had a foot and stem, and usually with a "bucket shape" bowl, were labelled up as "celery vase". I have no idea if that is still true.

[Frank]

A couple more from the Steven & Williams catalogue, courtesy the Glass-Catalogue.

[Leni]

I thought they were all vases originally, and only got re-named 'Celeries' for tax purposes, a bit like WF swans just being ornaments at first, and then being made slightly wider and called 'dishes' to avoid Purchase Tax!   

[Frank]

Much later Leni, see above.

[Lustrousstone]

I would imagine it was a very clever marketing ploy when celery became fashionable - offer your customers a vase with a nice wide interior, call it a celery vase and then they buy two different ones. One for celery and one for flowers. Nice clear glass goes with any china and you can flog a butter dish and other serving bits and pieces to match. See here for a nice selection. I think we also have to remember that vases were originally just ornaments, not ornamental containers

[Frank]

The 1909 S&W catalogue includes "Flower Vases" "Flower Tubes"and "Flower Bowls" - thus making the designers purpose clear. From Christines remark, perhaps a "vase" can serve another purpose than flower holding?

Mind you S&W were clearly happy to use there own terminolgy - The "Intagliod" term that turned up in the 1894 catalogue I put on-line earlier (link) seemed to have been a possible printers mistake after discussion with Rakow, but it appear yet again in this catalogues price list - the price list was in use from the date of the catalogue printing of 1909 (based on the highest pattern number) yet the price list was probably still in use post WW1 as it has been stamped with a ten percent surcharge 'due to increased production cost'.

Another interesting item in this catalogue is a Kluk-Kluk decanter which they named "Black-Forest Bottle" Their distinction of Bottle and Decanter seems to be design purpose thus, "Whisky Flask" & "Spirit Bottle"

In the earlier discussion I also mentioned the spelling of Caraffe, that spelling also appears in this later catalogue.

The other interesting name from this second catalogue I post as a quiz first here http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,20371.0.html

[Lustrousstone]

Silber and Fleming has c. 14 celery vases: 12 with pedestal feet and three with 4 little feet all found under tableware and all in cut, engraved or pressed crystal. There are also flower tubes (under tableware and ornamental), flower vases, spill vases, bouquet holders, flower holders (look like vases to me), flower bowls, flower stands, sets of vases (three) and flower pots in any colour or finish you could fancy.