The stripes are within the glass - very precise and evenly spaced, if you look towards the base you can see them curling within the clear casing. This is the only photo of the vase that I have, the friend in question is a little technophobic (well a lot really) and as he lives some considerable distance from me the chances of getting any more images for a month or so are minimal.
The shape of the vase is somewhat organic and plant like but my first impression on seeing it was a chick in the nest demanding food from it's parents, hence the beak description.
John