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Message:: [QUOTE="User 67, post: 3326, member: 67"]Walter, where were you planning to publish (post) the article once you write it? I've done quite a bit of research in the early display of flowers in Europe. And your statement that "In my opinoin the Greek and Romans lived too close in proximity to nature itself to be concerned about displaying cut flowers in their homes" is off. In reality the Romans enclosed and 'tamed' nature, in the form of courtyard gardens that were strictly laid out and walled, not only to kept people out but kept wild nature at bay. The Greeks, and particularily the Romans, lavished their homes with cut flowers. But to my knowledge, they never used vessels or water vases. Their preferred method of display was to weave flowers and foliage into a garland to be hung on the walls or tables, sometimes woven in a wreath shape (often in literature the garland is described as a wreath.) Like streamers at a Birthday Party, these garlands could be quite abundent. It was common to decorate the home alter with a garland, specifically on feast days. There are some references of strewing flower petals, to be crushed underfoot by guests as in the scene from The Satyricon where Nero drops flower petals from the ceiling in such numbers that it soffocated the guests. Roses were in great favor then as now and some flower shops in Rome were known to stock nothing but roses. Flowers were also extremely popular worn in a circlet. I would postulate two possible impetuses for vases being introduced/discovered in Europe. 1) the most obvious is necessity and chance. The long necked ewers and oil bottles that were sometimes used for wine or water could easily take a flower stem in a drunken moment of playfullness. This could lead to observing that the flowers lasted longer. But this presupposes that someone actually wanted the flowers to last longer. For the ancient Romans, flower decorations were for the wealthy, it was rare that middle or lower class families would decorate a home with flowers except on holidays or as a libation to their household alter. The Romans were quite proud of their excess, and placing flowers in a vase of water (to preserve them) might be admitting that you couldn't afford to just throw them away. So, perhaps we should look for a northern culture, English and Dutch, with hot houses and expensive flowers that might mitigate preserving the flowers while still being extravagant. 2) The Chinese practiced flower arranging early on as an art form, they wrote books and made paintings of flower arranging and arrangements. These ideas could travel along with any Chinese exports. Also, when export porcelain did arrive in Europe, I might assume that there would be the wayward vase that was placed in the keel along with the enormous platters and wash bowls favored by European royalty. Other than display, the narrow necked flower vases really have a specific purpose that isn't well suited for oil or wine storage. After seeing, or hearing from the importer, how the Chinese use such wares, it wouldn't take much for the fashion to establish among those who could afford it. This might even suggest the mid-east developing the first vases (after the Chinese) since they controlled the silk route, but if when and how that influenced European forms is another question. PnonG's link to the Multi-necked vase at the V&A, should be a great resource for your article. Those bulb plants used in the finger vases (tulips) mostly are indigenous to that region, Turkey and the southern Caucasus, as far as I know. It is possible that the European vases and finger vases developed somewhat independently. .[/QUOTE]

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