Antique Parian Hand Vase with Lily of the Valley, c. 1860–1900
Viridian Eclection
The Piece
A lady's right hand, modelled life size in unglazed parian porcelain, rising from a frilled lace cuff and holding a fluted cornet vase against her palm. Sprays of lily of the valley climb both sides of the cornet, the bells applied separately and undercut so they stand free of the ground, and the rim of the vase breaks into irregular petal points rather than finishing level. The cuff is worked as ruched lace over a knitted band, closed with a small bow and tassel at the wrist, and it spreads into a scalloped oval foot that carries the whole weight.
The surface is the reason to hold it. Parian is fired without glaze, so it comes out matte and faintly waxy, closer to carved marble than to china, and it takes light softly instead of bouncing it. The body carries the scatter of small dark specks that comes with the material, and the modelling stays crisp everywhere it matters: fingernails, knuckles, the lace, the individual bells.
History & Provenance
Parian was developed in Staffordshire around 1840 by Copeland and Garrett, who were trying to reproduce the look of white marble statuary in a material that could be slip cast in quantity. It took its name from the marble of Paros and it did exactly what it was meant to: it put sculpture, or something very like it, on middle class mantelpieces for the first time.
The hand vase was one of the forms that made the material popular. It belongs to the Victorian language of flowers and of keepsakes, a hand offered, a posy held out, and it was sold as a gift rather than as tableware. Lily of the valley was among the most loaded flowers in that vocabulary, standing for the return of happiness, which is why it recurs on the form so often. These were made across the Staffordshire potteries and rarely carried a factory mark, so the great majority survive unattributed.
The underside bears a name in pencil in a flowing hand, too faint to transcribe with confidence. It reads as a previous owner's mark rather than a maker's, which is what the placement and the medium suggest: factories impressed or printed their marks, they did not write them.
Product Details
| Era | c. 1860–1900. Parian was not developed until around 1840, which sets the floor; the hand vase belongs to the Victorian keepsake trade that ran through the second half of the century, and the true parian body, matte and unglazed with firing specks through it, is consistent with period production rather than with the glazed and chalky later copies |
| Material | Parian porcelain, unglazed |
| Form | Hand vase, cornet held in a lady's hand, applied lily of the valley, lace cuff over a scalloped oval foot |
| Marks | A name in pencil to the underside, flowing hand, illegible. No factory mark, which is usual for the form |
| Dimensions | Approximately 9 in. high by 3.5 in. across the foot |
| Condition | Good. Modelling crisp and the applied lily bells present where visible. Scattered small dark specks in the body, inherent to parian and not damage. A trace of red pigment at one point on the foot rim. Light surface soiling in the recesses consistent with age. The applied bells on a piece of this kind are fragile, so small losses at the tips are possible and are not warranted against. |
Why It Belongs in Your Home
It holds one stem and that is the point. Put a single rose in it, or a sprig of something from the garden, and the object finishes the arrangement rather than competing with it. Empty it still works, because it reads as a small piece of sculpture: a hand, held out, in a material that looks like marble and costs a fraction of it. On a hall table, a dressing table or a shelf of white objects it does a great deal with very little footprint.
Every piece is packed with professional-grade materials: multiple foam layers, double-boxing, directional and fragile handling labels. For large furniture we use custom timber crating. We photograph packing before dispatch and can provide images on request.
White-glove delivery is complimentary within 100 miles of Reno, NV. National shipping quotes provided at checkout. All shipments are photographed and documented. Damage claims must be filed with the carrier; we provide all documentation needed to support your claim.
Local pickup is available at Viridian HQ (Reno, NV) with 2–4 days notice. Contact us to arrange. Private viewings also available.
All antique and vintage items are sold as described and all sales are final. Each listing includes detailed condition notes and photographs so you can make a fully informed decision. We encourage buyers to ask questions — about condition, dimensions, finish, provenance — before purchasing.
Antiques are irreplaceable and one-of-a-kind. Carrier handling is outside our control once a piece has left our facility, and major carriers including FedEx do not insure antiques. We do everything within our power to ensure safe transit, but cannot accept liability for carrier damage. If damage occurs in transit, we will provide full documentation to support your carrier claim.
Have a question? — we're happy to provide additional photos, condition detail, or discuss the piece directly.
