Vintage Sylvac Hyacinth Vases in Matt White, Graduated Pair

Two Sylvac vases from the much loved Hyacinth range, moulded as tall, unfurling flower buds with long leaves wrapping around their sides and pointed petal tips forming the rims. Finished in a soft matt white, they have a sculptural, almost architectural quality, and look just as striking empty as they do filled with flowers.

Sylvac was the trademark of Shaw and Copestake, a Stoke on Trent pottery founded in 1894, which took its name from the Sylvan Works where the wares were made. Launched in 1938, the brand became a classic of British mid century design, and the Hyacinth range, made in the 1950s, is one of its most elegant, sharing the flower arranging spirit Constance Spry made so popular. Each vase stands on a ribbed, rounded foot that gives a lovely sense of growth from the base upwards.

The larger vase measures 29 x 11 cm and the smaller 24 x 9 cm, so they sit beautifully together as a graduated pair. Both show fine crazing to the glaze, which is typical of Sylvac pieces of this age.

Fill them with a few stems of white tulips or ranunculus for a fresh spring look, or let dried honesty, eucalyptus or pampas grass show off their shape through the winter months. They look wonderful on a mantelpiece, either side of a mirror, or grouped on a windowsill with pale green glass. Their clean white form suits modern interiors as easily as a country cottage, and they pair especially well with natural linen, oak and soft greens. A lovely gift for a Sylvac collector or anyone who loves mid century ceramics.

Proof that two vases can look like they’re growing, even when you’ve forgotten to buy flowers.