Round Vases



For more than 25 years, round vases have been our most popular design. With their spare, elegant design, earth tones, and range of sizes from 3½ to 16 inches, they are well suited to a wide variety of decor, whether they are used to display fresh flowers, dry arrangements, on their own or in groups. The vases are heavy and smooth, and being the product of the hand may be enjoyed as much by the hand as the eye.


Round vases are cut from brass sheet, hammered into shape and brazed together by hand. They are tested for water-tightness. The vases are then patinaed with traditional sculptural patinas which we mix from scratch. Most patinas are applied with a brush while heating the metal with an oxy-acetylene torch. Many are layered to provide deeper, more complex colors.


Scrap vases are constructed from scraps of the same heavy brass sheet that makes up the ordinary round vases. They are intended for dry arrangements or for display on their own. More recently, we have started making part-scrap vases, which do hold water up to the bottom of the scrap section. We also include here the ellipse vase, since it is constructed similarly to the round vases.


The ring separating the two round sides is textured with flowed bronze, except on scrap and part-scrap vases, where the ring is left smooth.


Round vases are currently available in the following patinas, representing nearly all of our standard colors:

blue-green, white blue-green,
dark green, black,
ochre, white ochre, black ochre,
brown, white brown,
grey, silver, silver brown,* silver blue-green,
mottle,* burnt mottle,* brown mottle,*
spray blue black (robin's egg or Turkish stone*), stone grey,* pigmented blue

*Colors marked with an asterisk are more variegated, and as such do not work well with the hard-edged geometry of scrap parts of vases. Normally, we do not make scrap and part-scrap vases in these patinas. For more information, and larger pictures of the patinas, see our patina pages.


Round Vases (since 1981):
Big — 16 inch (black) - $616
very large — 12 inch (ochre) - $344
sorta large — 9 inch (burnt mottle) - $250
large — 6½ inch (mottle) - $190
medium — 5½ inch (spray blue-black) - $158
small — 4¾ inch (brown) - $116
extra-small — 3½ inch (blue-green) - $84

Online sales:

The Guild: As of Spring 2006, three varieties of round vase are available for sale through Guild.com, where they are called Moon Vases. Currently, they are offering a very large (12") in white blue-green, under the title Large Moon Vase, a sorta large (9") in white ochre, under the title Small Moon Vase, and a small (4¾") in silver patina, under the title Extra-small Moon Vase. The larger two sizes have also appeared in their catalogue, The Artful Home, from Spring 2006 through Summer 2007.

For size/color combinations not available above, feel free to contact us.


Scrap Rounds:
very large — 12 inch (ochre) - $466
sorta large — 9 inch (blue-green) - $402


Part Scrap Rounds (since 1999):
very large — 12 inch (grey) - $424
sorta large — 9 inch (black) - $322


Ellipse (since 1994):
7 × 13 inches (spray blue-black) - $316

The ring on the ellipse vase is thicker, front to back, than any round except the Big vase, and it has three relatively large openings for flowers. The ellipse's feet are two lengths of round rod, which lie flat on the ground.




Designs copyright © 1981-2009 David M Bowman & Reed C Bowman
Page copyright © 2009 David M Bowman
All rights reserved
Last updated 3 September 2009