Looking for a "Bathing" Vase
June 2, 2016 10:11 PM   Subscribe

I saw a massive vase in the Pillowbook where it was used as a bathing vessel. Any ideas where I could buy such a item? I suspect it would be 40 - 65 gallons. Wooden barrels don't count.
posted by Alt255 to Shopping (7 answers total)
 
I remember that image, although I don't remember much else about the movie. I think the word you want is "planter" because most things that come up for "vase" are far too narrow. Something like this is getting into the zone. They also seem to sometimes be called fish bowls.
posted by zadcat at 10:19 PM on June 2, 2016


Response by poster: Thanks, but what I want is much bigger. To fit a human inside, with water. It would be very sturdy.
posted by Alt255 at 10:35 PM on June 2, 2016


This is an image from the film, in case it helps anyone. Possibly NSFW (she is nude but no bits are shown).
posted by the webmistress at 10:49 PM on June 2, 2016 [1 favorite]


The only place I've personally seen Chinoiserie planters that large is at really high-end antique shops in San Francisco's Chinatown. They tend to run around the $10K mark for ornate styles like the one in the movie. Hollywood has prop acquisition resources like you wouldn't believe.

These were commonly used for koi or carp environments, or for planting large trees. They are hard to source and not common. I would say calling the shops in Winnipeg's Chinatown would be a good place to start, let them know what you are looking for and hopefully they can find you something. If you have a local garden pottery place, they may have something comparable, but with newer pieces the quality will probably not be as good as an antique. It depends largely on your budget and what you are specifically looking for -- just size? Style of decoration? Age?
posted by ananci at 11:29 PM on June 2, 2016


I didn't find what you describe, but I did find this here. It suggests that you might be able to use a plain vessel in an appropriately decorated setting.
posted by SemiSalt at 7:02 AM on June 3, 2016


Best answer: They are plain terracotta not glazed china, but I found these by searching "tree pot". They are big enough.
posted by tinkletown at 4:21 AM on June 4, 2016


Response by poster: Thanks all. 10K is an indulgence I'm not will to pay for. But the tree pot sounds like the best lead. They are plain, but considering the price, doable. I have access to a homemade kiln, so I might be able to glaze it. Cheers tinkletown and ananci.
posted by Alt255 at 1:45 PM on June 4, 2016


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