A moment of reflection about the meaning of vintage
I love the very word "Vintage". It makes me think of things old-timey, quaint & timeless.
Take this beautiful pottery pitcher for instance. Upon finding this treasure nestled behind some aluminum cooking pans on a bottom shelf at my local Goodwill, I took the piece home, washed it gently with soap, peeled off the $9.99 sticker, and fell in love with it's deep blue color.
The blueness of the pitcher reminds me of the mountain Bluejays who not so sneakily pick out bunches of my red cedar mulch in the garden each morning, and cart it off to line their new spring nests.
Is my pottery pitcher piece vintage? Let's start finding out by turning it over.
The bottom of the pitcher
I soon discovered after reading the pitcher description from the seller, that this vintage pitcher is made by Fioriware Art Pottery. The seller describes the piece as made from heavy duty stoneware and weighing about 4.5 pounds. I did not see a date this pottery vase was made, so searched the internet for some more information about a possible time period. Oh by the way, the price showed $69.00 or best offer, shipping another $23.15.
So far I am ahead of the game in my price, but is my particular piece considered "Vintage"?
Here is a pic of the similar pitcher.
Another detail I noted from my bottom inspection is the location of the maker, Zanesville, Ohio. I searched for Fioriware again using the maker location, and found out some interesting facts.
Since closing Fioriware in 2006, Maddy Fraioli has been making a studio line of pottery at her farm in Roseville, recreating many of the favorite floral patterns and shapes from the Fioriware line. In addition to pottery, Maddy and her husband, the designer Howard Peller, make and sell willow baskets. By appt. only 740-697-0027 or order online at
www.rosehilldesign.com. Very interesting right?
So I ventured onto Etsy, and found another vase like mine, only beige in color. Price: $375.00 USD. Wow! This is more like it!
The seller claims this pitcher is vintage and from the 1980's. I found out more information about the pottery company, such as that they were in business from 1987 - 2006. I also discovered that the pieces have become highly collectible, some of the celebrity customers have been Bruce Springstein, Beth Midler and even Hilary Clinton!
The seller states correct measurements are 4 3/4 " wide at the bottom, 8" high in the center, and 10" from the spout to the handle. Yes, it seems this is just like my Goodwill pitcher piece!
My conclusion, yes my new blue pitcher is considered 'Vintage 80's'. I feel the timelessness of my blue pitcher makes it a true classic piece of the 80's period. I can picture freshly squeezed lemonade, iced to the brim, filling it's vessel, and set on a picnic table under a blooming Dogwood tree in the spring
So, what really is the definition of vintage?
According to merriam-webster.com, when used as a noun the word vintage
: the grapes or wine produced drink one season
: a period in which something was made or begun
The word vintage when used as an adjective
-used to describe a wine usually of high quality that was produced in a particular year which is identified on the bottle.
-used to describe something that is not new but that is valued because of its good condition, attractive design, etc.
-used to describe something that has the best qualities or characterisrtics of the things made or done by a particular person, organization, etc.
Related words are antiquated, obsolete, historical, olden, bygone, dateless, timeless to name just a few . . .
Near Antonyms are fresh, chic, designer, fashionable, smart, refurbished again to name just a few . . .
Conclusion: It does seem, due to the fact different items have different lengths of years, such with the closing of the Fioreware Art Pottery business in 2006, one possible defining trait of vintage is not only the age, but the item itself? If my pitcher were still being made by the same company, it might still be considered vintage, but maybe not as "collect-ably vintage"? Some say anything over 20 - 25 years is considered "vintage" . . . then at some point later . . . 100 years or so changes and becomes an "antique". What are your thoughts?
One possible definition of vintage could go something like this . . .
A treasured older item can be "of" vintage quality and appeal as well as of vintage condition. To me, this means a not new, yet very valued timelessness of the piece. A quality that could have only been found during that particular time the vintage item was created.
My new blue pitcher can be considered as an exceptional example of vintage 80's Fioriware Art Pottery. The wording tells me and others when it was made, and defines the valuable quality of the piece.
The beautiful blue pitcher found a temporary place on our cabin table.
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The word vintage when used as an adjective
-used to describe a wine usually of high quality that was produced in a particular year which is identified on the bottle.
-used to describe something that is not new but that is valued because of its good condition, attractive design, etc.
-used to describe something that has the best qualities or characterisrtics of the things made or done by a particular person, organization, etc.
Related words are antiquated, obsolete, historical, olden, bygone, dateless, timeless to name just a few . . .
Near Antonyms are fresh, chic, designer, fashionable, smart, refurbished again to name just a few . . .
Conclusion: It does seem, due to the fact different items have different lengths of years, such with the closing of the Fioreware Art Pottery business in 2006, one possible defining trait of vintage is not only the age, but the item itself? If my pitcher were still being made by the same company, it might still be considered vintage, but maybe not as "collect-ably vintage"? Some say anything over 20 - 25 years is considered "vintage" . . . then at some point later . . . 100 years or so changes and becomes an "antique". What are your thoughts?
One possible definition of vintage could go something like this . . .
A treasured older item can be "of" vintage quality and appeal as well as of vintage condition. To me, this means a not new, yet very valued timelessness of the piece. A quality that could have only been found during that particular time the vintage item was created.
My new blue pitcher can be considered as an exceptional example of vintage 80's Fioriware Art Pottery. The wording tells me and others when it was made, and defines the valuable quality of the piece.
The beautiful blue pitcher found a temporary place on our cabin table.
Next Blog Post Preview:
Come see my "Smoking Duck" from the 50's . . . Hopefully, a pictoral tour of my new collectible vendor booth in the mountains.
Until next time,
Lisa
Come see my "Smoking Duck" from the 50's . . . Hopefully, a pictoral tour of my new collectible
Until next time,
Lisa
