The apparent lack of practicality is what we love most about the design vases, objects that, due to their (seemingly) limited function, lends themselves perfectly to speculation, research, and dreaming. They push designers and artists to seek new forms, experiment with materials, and find unexpected solutions, often influencing other areas of design that are typically considered useful and noble.
In this article, we will look at some of the most important modern vases in European design, projects that have stood out over the years for their aesthetic and design.
A selection of Classic Modern Vases
Some vases, created by the great design masters of the last century, have left a quiet but lasting mark on the history of design through their form and presence. They also happen to be objects that collectors keep coming back to.
This selection gathers pieces that are still in production today. The original versions are easy to track down through specialized design retailers and archiveofobjects.net may receive a commission on purchases.
Vaso Amazonia, Gaetano Pesce
Gaetano Pesce’s Amazonia Vase, part of his Fish Design collection since 1995, is a burst of color and form inspired by the energy of the Amazon rainforest. Made from soft resin, it has a fluid and organic look. No two pieces are ever the same. Each one is handmade to order, available in five sizes from S to XXL and in a range of color combinations. One version in red, yellow, blue, and black became part of the permanent collection at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. A recognition of Pesce’s innovation and his view of design as something free, expressive, and grounded in craft.
Aalto Vase, Aalvar Alto
The Savoy vase, created by Finnish architect and designer Alvar Aalto in 1936 (arguably his most famous design alongside his Stool 60), is celebrated for its organic design that mimics the lines of Finnish lakes. Originally designed for the Savoy Restaurant in Helsinki, the vase is distinguished by its fluid, organic, and asymmetrical shape. Made in Finland through a complex glass-blowing technique, the Savoy vase has become an icon of modern design, representing a philosophy of free and natural forms. Today, it remains a celebrated piece in design museums around the world and continues to be loved for its timeless aesthetic.
Prospettica, Gio Ponti
Giò Ponti is one of the key figures in Italian architecture and design. Often referred to as a kind of Renaissance man, he worked across scales and disciplines, from textiles to cathedrals, from small table lamps like the Bilia for FontanaArte to high-rise towers that came to represent a new idea of modernity. He also spent a decade, from 1923 to 1933, as artistic director at the ceramics company Richard Ginori. Among his most striking pieces from that period is the Prospettica Orcino vase. Each panel contains an image of smaller vases, creating a play of perspective that gives the object both rhythm and restraint.
Opalino, Paolo Venini
The Opalino vase has been in production at Venini since 1932. Its shape is simple and stretched, with a palette of soft, washed-out colors. It’s made using the opalini technique, which comes from the use of lattimo—an opaque white glass developed in Murano in the mid-fifteenth century to mimic the porcelain that was starting to circulate in Europe at the time. The process layers milk glass with thin sheets of transparent colored glass, giving the surface a depth and brightness that still feels quietly striking.
Paros H, Enzo Mari
Paros H is a vase designed by Enzo Mari in 1964 and produced by Danese Milano. Like much of Mari’s work, it sits somewhere between form and thought. This vase iss a design object with no practical ambition beyond its own presence. It can be used to hold cut flowers, but just as easily exists as a sculptural piece, something to observe, to consider. Made from Calacatta marble, each vase is part of a limited production of 100 pieces per year. It’s one of Mari’s more eclectic works, stripped of function in any strict sense, yet still rooted in proportion, material, and clarity.
Fazzoletto, Fulvio Bianconi
Fulvio Bianconi’s Fazzoletto vase is a quiet icon of 1950s Murano glass. One of Venini’s most enduring pieces, its form was inspired by the weightlessness of a handkerchief in midair. The shape comes from a complex blowing technique that lets the glass fall and fold freely, giving each piece its own rhythm and character. Known for its vivid color combinations and soft, irregular edges, the Fazzoletto has become a familiar presence in the history of Italian design. It’s part of major museum collections, including the MoMA in New York, and still feels as alive now as it did when it was first made.
Bolle, Tapio Wikkala
The Bolle vase series, designed by the legendary Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala for the glassworks Venini, are among the most captivating and recognizable glass objects in the entire production of the Murano company. Wirkkala began working with Venini in 1966, and his approach to glass design was influenced by his deep connection with nature and his interest in organic forms. Wirkkala’s vases are created through a technique called incalmo, a challenging process that involves fusing two or more pieces of blown glass while they are still hot, creating a single unit without visible joints. The Bolle vases often combine transparent sections with colored ones, creating fascinating visual contrasts. They are stunning vases, collected by museums worldwide.
Dealbata, Alessandro Mendini
Alessandro Mendini was an influential Italian architect and designer, known for his ironic approach to product, furniture, and architectural design. Mendini played a significant role in the postmodern design movement, especially through his work with the design and architecture group Studio Alchimia in the late 1970s, and later joining the Memphis Milano movement. The Dealbata vase series, designed in 1986, is made of terracotta with hand-applied decorations. This series of vases was reintroduced by Zanotta during the Milan Design Week in 2024.
Yemen, Ettore Sottsass
The Yemen vase was designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1994 for Venini, as part of a series that also includes the Oman vase, which shares a similar rhythm of shapes and tones. Sottsass—architect, designer, and founder of the Memphis group—brought his usual irreverence to glass, working closely with Venini’s artisans to create a piece that is both expressive and precise. The Yemen is made from hand-blown glass, its palette drawn from the country’s flag. Color, volume, and contrast play off each other in ways that echo Memphis, though here they settle into something quieter, more measured.
Mangiarotti MArbles
The Mangiarotti Marbles vase was designed in 1968 by Angelo Mangiarotti, an architect and designer who believed that objects should outlast the people who make them. Now produced by Karakter, it’s carved from Banswara marble, with wide curves that soften the mass of the material without denying its weight. Mangiarotti’s design logic was clear and uncompromising, no decoration, no hidden joins, just form shaped by structure. This vase is part of that thinking: durable, essential, and made to endure.
