Blue & Cream Mantel Vases

From Exeter—in the County of Devonshire, Southwestern England—comes this pair of hand-painted vases by Hart & Moist.  The terracotta, high-shouldered forms are painted boldly with white "slip" (a watered-down clay).  While the decoration is flamboyant, nearly Baroque, the look is restrained by the simple, crisp, nautical color palette—appropriate for a coastal environment like Devon.  Picture the rolling seaside—under a blue sky with fluffy, white clouds.  Picture, also, these vases—punctuating each end of your well-appointed mantelpiece.   (8.25" x 4")   ap13114d c. 1900