vase

Need a place to put those Valentine's Day roses? The Camicia Vase is an elegant, but modern, way to showcase a beautiful flower arrangement. The vase consists of two cylindrical tubes, one made of glass and an exterior one made of chromed steel or aluminum. The exterior tube has a cutaway portion that allows you to see through, into the bottom of the vase and, because of the high-quality of the glasswork, it looks as though the water and flower stems are almost floating in place. The vase is 4" in diameter and 11" high. Price: $320.

I keep my extra tapered candles in a drawer, but the idea of putting them into an elegant display as a way of storing them is a good one, especially if you tend to keep candles that are all of the same color, or at least color coordinated. The Tapers With Ismir Vase set includes 24 ivory candles and a lovely handblown glass vase for displaying them. You can even treat the tapers like flowers and change the arrangement to suit the seasons, or remove them to make use of the 8-in. high vase for real flower arrangements. Price: $70.

Really exclusive gifts can be difficult to track down because there are just so few of them. The Baccarat Reflex Vase is one such object. Only five of the very-limited edition vases were produced and they are exclusively being sold at Neiman Marcus. The handcrafted vases were designed by Nicholas Triboulot and are made of full lead crystal. Each stands 15.75" high and are both signed and numbered. Price: $10,000.

A good vase is hard to find, so getting two is even better. Celebrating good floral displays and the "dualistic nature...in our universe," the Ying Yang Vases are definitely unusual as far as vases go. Each is handmade, with a sculpted, curving cavity in black or white that has bee sunk into a frame of clear glass. Each can be use separately, but the pair fit neatly together. When viewed from the front, the outlines of the color areas for an elongated oval "adding harmony to any room." Price: $320.

A new sales record for art sold in Asia was set when a woman at a Christie's Hong Kong auction paid $19.4 million (£10 million) for a small Qing dynasty bowl. Bizarrely, the woman's brother, who is known to have one of the world's best collections of Chinese art, offered the bowl at the auction. This brings up the question as to whether the woman and her brother planned for this to be the outcome of the auction, although why one would set out with the intent to set an auction bidding record remains to be seen. The woman said that she had not expected to buy the bowl; it was a "spur-of-the-moment decision" and that "[her] interest grew during the bidding process"

[Thanks, Lana!]

While the Mistic Candleholder/Vase looks a bit busy in this picture, in person it is simplicity itself. The vase is made out of seven delicate, intertwining glass tubes that blend in with the background much more easily when not placed up against a white background, as they are here. Each of the tubes can serve as a vase, preferably for long-stemmed flowers, and with the use of a set of Mistic Candle Cups ($80), it can become a candelabra. You can even arrange a combination of flowers and candles with it, which is not something that can be done with most candleholders. It measures 17.7" W x 10" H. Price: $500.

Layers of clear and colored glass are carefully created and because fused together to create the many layers of this handcrafted Phuzion Tower Vase . Because of the method used to make the vases, each piece may contain tiny bubbles, use different colors or have other minor "imperfections" that make each vase completely unique. The rainbow of colors means that the vase should complement any long-stemmed flowers, regardless of their color, but white flowers (such as the one pictured) are clearly the best choice for showcasing the glass alone. The vases measure 14" H x 2.5" W x 2.5" L and are hand-signed by artist Ofteo Quagliatae. Price: $390.

German designers Markus Gogolin and Hedwig Rotter were counting on the German football team to make it to the World Cup finals this year. Unfortunately for them, the team lost to the Italians. There is one final match for the German team tomorrow against Portugal, playing for third place. Considering that the team could still score a trophy, the finale! vases are still rather appropriate. Made from porcelain, they measure 39x25x9-cm and are modeled on a real footballer's lower leg and foot. There are no distinctive German-team markings on the shoe, so any fan could enjoy them and still support his or her favorite team. The foot is not included - and that's probably just as well. Price: €155.

[via Design Spotter]

These tiny ceramic vases don't need to be big to deliver their short, sweet message. Sold as a pair, one reads "mom" and the other, "love." The vases are designed by artist Beth Mueller and the sketches that adorn them are hand painted. Each piece is only 4-inches high, but the size makes them into a keepsake that is easy to find room for. Mom can even keep them on her desk or bedside table, with one or two of her favorite flowers tucked inside, so she can think of you every day. Price: $25.00.

If Hansel and Gretel was your favorite fairy tale because you never made it past the bit where they find an edible house, Prudence Emma Staite has created the perfect room for you. She has designed a room made entirely of chocolate. The chocolate rooms have a solid chocolate fireplace and hearth, skirting boards, chocolate paintings, lickable chocolate walls, lickable chocolate sugar paper, a chocolate chandelier and chocolate vases and logs. The rooms can feed up to 500 people and prices start at £2,500.

[Thanks to the Rat and Mouse for the tip]