The Beauty of Porcelain Flowers

In the world of flowers, fresh isn’t the only option. Replicas in various media such as porcelain, paper, ceramic, and silk, have quickly grown in popularity as choices for alternative floral decoration.  Porcelain, although the hardest to manipulate, has become wildly popular on the art and antiques show circuit in recent years. Harking back to the periods of Faberge eggs and Staffordshire figurines, artists such as Claire Potter and Vladimir Kanevsky are rendering beautiful life-like flora sculpture and bringing it back to the forefront of interior décor.

A porcelain bouquet by artist Claire Potter

One reason why porcelain has maintained its desired status is because there is no way to cheapen the design. Every piece was, and is still, hand-made: both hand-carved and hand-painted. This is how the artists can manipulate every design detail to make the arrangements look completely realistic, as if it needs to survive on fresh air and water. The entire conception is at once natural and elegant. The best part? Except for the occasional dusting, it doesn’t take much effort to maintain the sculptor’s original masterpiece.

While we focus first and foremost on fresh flowers, here at Ornamento our collection of home décor includes many hand-made floral sculptures. These range in materials from paper to silk to ceramic, and most recently tole painted, hand carved metal sculptures created by Tommy Mitchell. These life-like pieces of art are meticulously crafted to render ornate plants and flowers including agapanthus, orchid, and lily of the valley. While magnificent standing alone, Mitchell’s gold and silver pieces are perfect for a holiday centerpiece surrounded by pinecones and holly. Consider it as a the perfect way to get your tabletop ready for this season, without adding the extra stress of remembering to water your flowers!