Calling All Collectors: Lady Head Vases

It sounds rather macabre when you say it out loud: it's a woman's head that you stick flowers in as a planter or vase, but this niche collectible was surely inspired by fashionable ladies in full floral hats of the 1880s.  According to Discover Vintage America, that's when this odd little concept first appeared in Europe.  Gaining a foothold in America in the 1930s, the Lady Head Vase really took off in the 1940s as Japan began making beautiful pottery in its progress toward rebuilding industry and its economy after WWII.   

By the early 1950s these vases had found a popular muse in Lucille Ball and the "Lucy" vase dominated market silhouettes until styles began to change.  Lucy was never officially named as the inspiration for this style but it was obvious that she was a reference, and others like Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe would follow.  Florists loved these little vases to jazz up an arrangement on the cheap and they remained popular and in production, albeit with styles ever upgrading to current trends, until the 1970s.

Personally, I began collecting a few vases about three to five years ago after seeing a flea market flyer that featured a set.  During my search, I have learned a few things that I thought I might share.  First of all, these vases are shockingly expensive, selling at upwards of $100 per vase when they originally could be purchased as a set of six for about $1.00 at a nickel and dime store according to LovetoKnow.com.  The larger the piece and the better the condition, the more you can expect to pay.  

Common flaws include broken eyelashes, broken ears, and missing or broken jewelry.  If you can live with the flaws or feel comfortable making repairs yourself, it can lower the cost to go for less than perfect pieces.  As always, I find that it's anyone's guess whether you'll find a better bargain in-store or online.  I purchased two vases at an online auction, one in-store, and one I found while cleaning out the home of a deceased relative.  Apart from that last one, they all cost about the same, though you can certainly see sets emerging as you search this genre and you can focus your collection on a certain silhouette in various colors or just collect the pieces you like, as I have.

True collectors will care about the manufacturer stamp on the bottom and knowing as much as possible.  I've just liked to buy the pieces I think are unique or pretty, and I think four is probably enough, but if you are interested in collecting in this field, I've included addition reading below to get you started.

References and further reading:

https://www.lovetoknow.com/home/antiques-collectibles/lady-head-vases

https://www.discovervintage.com/cover/a-head-above-the-rest-lady-head-vases-brought-touch-of-class-to-ones-home/