Ceramic Umbrella Stand with Flowers

We call this our portaombrelli Iris. It's an amphora-shaped umbrella stand, about 55 cm tall, with a wide opening at the top and two small decorative handles on either side. The whole piece is hand-shaped and hand-painted by our artisans in Vietri sul Mare.

The body is white with a big cascading bouquet of flowers painted across the upper half — you'll see daisies, purple irises, yellow blooms, and small blue forget-me-nots, all mixed together with soft green leaves and delicate curling stems. The flowers spill down from the neck of the vase in a natural, loose arrangement. Around the rim, handles, and base, there are pink bands with scrollwork patterns in a deeper rose colour. Pink stripes ring the lower body too.

It's meant for holding umbrellas by the door, and at about 10 kg it's heavy enough to stay put. Some customers also use it as a large floor vase or to hold dried branches. The wide mouth makes it practical either way.

Every piece comes out a little different because our artisans paint each flower freehand. Small shifts in colour or placement are just part of what handmade Vietri ceramics look like — and we think that's a good thing.