-

-
Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Monday, September 5, 2016

In A Vase On Monday

In my neighborhood, little surprises often show up in the parking strips, on the steps, just about anywhere. For instance, a hundred or so pieces of some sort of black clay ware showed up earlier this summer.  It looked a bit interesting and as I was picking it up to take it to the trash, I noticed a price tag.

At some point, someone thought it was worth a thousand dollars.  While being broken, it had no value, what could it hurt to see what it might have been?  Who doesn't like a puzzle?  Down to the glass/craft room in the basement it went a few pieces being glued together every day or so until my niece visited and we decided it would be fun to get it done all at once.  She's much better at spacial relationships than I so the help was welcome.   Here's what we came up with.  Sort of interesting, no? Have you any idea where this might have originated? The geckos make it seem a little southwest Native American to me.


There were some missing pieces.
 Because of our haste, some didn't fit together perfectly but we were able to see what the object once looked like.  A wise person would simply enjoy the exercise and dispose of the vase but no one ever said I was wise.  Alison, the niece, and I thought it would look interesting to cover the cracks with gold seed beads, use red mirror on the inside of the openings left by the missing pieces, and create some sort of new thing. I'll keep you posted.  By the way, the vessel has a rounded bottom and is sitting on a plastic container for stability.
So, what's this have to do with In A Vase On Monday, the meme tirelessly hosted by the creative and wonderful Cathy at Rambling in the Garden you may ask?   Well, a basket arrived on the back steps the other day which immediately went into a box to donate to charity.  On my way out the door, I grabbed it thinking that it would be perfect to hold cuttings while out hunting for IAVOM.  There's not a lot blooming in my garden right now that's vase worthy.  However, the hydrangeas are taking on those lovely muted tones and cried out to be brought inside to be dried so the found basket got filled with them.


I had in mind a couple of thrift store vase find vases for them but the stems were a bit short and kept flopping out of both of these.

The smart answer would be to wire these short stems to bamboo sticks so that they'd stand in the vase.

 Too lazy.  Besides, it's Labor Day so the hydrangeas decided that they'd be just as happy and beautiful staying in the cutting basket.

Happy Labor Day and unofficial end of summer.  (Yes, summer continues until the autumnal equinox but the media is all abuzz with end of summer talk and we all know that summer fashion is now over and, unless you're Coco Chanel, white clothes  vorboten until Memorial day.)
Thanks, Carol for hosting this addictive meme!

20 comments:

  1. Yep, you're past help with your vase obsession. You have several dozen (it seems) already, and yet you're assembling more (and purchasing). Truly a remarkable case.
    ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's sort of a game now. Many of the thrift store vases get used a couple of times and then donated, only a few stay.

      Delete
  2. Perfection solution to your hydrangea dilemma, Peter. And your archeological reconstruction of the shattered vase is museum worthy. I admire you and your niece for taking on the project. Maybe it was a Maria Martinez original! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_Martinez

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We had fun piecing together the vase just to see what it looked like. Thanks for the lead.

      Delete
  3. My mom used to have a basket like that! I love the shape, so useful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Did your mom leave hers on my back steps? Do thank her for me.

      Delete
  4. You are amazing - and your niece appears to be equally so. (Isn't she the one who corrected the grammar of sale signs on her last visit?) I think the hydrangeas look just right in that basket - with color in that range and intensity, no further embellishment is required.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, we are amazingly odd but fun. She is indeed the one who corrected the grammar. This was all in the same visit. For sitting around as much as we did, we got a lot of fun things done.

      Delete
  5. I love what happens to appear at your doorstep…everyone must know how creative you are. The basket is perfect especially since you want to dry your blossoms. I can just imagine how upset the owner of the broken vase must have been…especially with that price tag.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not sure if people are thinking about creativity or just trying to ditch stolen or unwanted property. I've reported to the police several more valuable finds (full tool boxes, jewelry, etc.) The owner of the broken vase wouldn't be happy.

      Delete
  6. With all due respect to Miss Coco, I wear white whenever I'm in the mood for it, and no doubt its just one of multiple fashion faux pas I'm guilty of. Since I love puzzles, I consider fixing such a vase great fun and no-way would toss it to the curve after all this effort. And although it doesn't hold water, it can be used for a dry arrangement when you don't have fresh flowers.

    ReplyDelete
  7. You must have had fun putting that vase back together with your niece. Love the Hydrangea cuttings just sitting in the basket. Perfect solution!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Have you ever seen the beautiful examples of wabi-sabi in which the joins in a broken porcelain dish are filled with gold?--the repaired item is, in my opinion, more interesting and lovely than the original. Your vase could be kinda like that!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I would have done the same Peter, and pieced it together before trying to work out how to compensate for the missing pieces. I had a look at Eliza's link - what do you think? DEfinitely a similar concept... I like the hydrangea heads in the basket too, so I am pleased you were able to down tools on 'Labor Day'!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Humpty Dumpty vase. Kings' men had no patience.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Emily beat me to suggesting the Japanese repair concept. I think gold beads would be the perfect Western analog.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I so enjoyed the little journey you took us on in this post! I was thinking you were going to put dried flowers in the vase. It is very wabi-sabi : ) The hydrangeas work in the basket! Happy Labor Day...and in Houston white line is a year round affair!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Quite a find. Looks like the signature might belong to Luis Miguel Bugarini.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I like the Hydrangeas in the basket. Great idea to piece together the found vase, and the gold seeds add character. Nicely done!

    ReplyDelete
  15. That was quite a circuitous path to get to your non-arrangement, but i had fun along the way.
    I can see why that vase had a $1000 price tag. It looks like a Santa Clara pot from New Mexico.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.