Porcelain Flowers

So, I’m kind of obsessed with porcelain flowers! I first came across some a few years ago when I was in a client’s office. She had these tiny handmade Parisian porcelain flowers she got while she was in the South of France…absolutely stunning.

Lately though, I’ve seen some that are more affordable than what I imagine the Parisian ones went for…


http://cgi.ebay.com/Capodimonte-Porcelain-Large-All-White-Magnolia-Flower_W0QQitemZ110161672948QQihZ001QQcategoryZ4218QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

These kinds of pieces just have such a classic elegance to them. There is something so raw and beautiful. I think they look especially great in groupings of 3 or more. If you have a large collection, you can break the groups up around a room, on a coffee table or on a work desk…they would look great anywhere really. Also, they come in so many varieties from peonies to roses, as well as different sizes (though I would suggest sticking with 3 to 6 inches).

The only downfall to porcelain flowers is that a lot of the pieces you find tend to be over the top—stay clear! There are some truly insanely colored, overly adorned, gaudy pieces…stick with the contemporary simplicity of the white versions.

Also, I love touches of porcelain on chandeliers. I recently saw a chandelier made out of metal with Nymphenburg porcelain flowers attached. The German Nymphenburg Porcelain factory is a true porcelain pioneer. They have been producing this stuff since the middle of the 18th century and they’re still at the top of their game. eBay has a pretty good selection of some of their signature styles.


http://cgi.ebay.com/1890s-NYMPHENBURG-White-FOREST-Nymph-MONK-German-1173_W0QQitemZ330142586089QQihZ014QQcategoryZ63526QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting

Even if you can’t use any porcelain flowers in your living space, I think they’re great to look at and many are truly works of art.