Tulle Vases by Kähler: Fluted Earthenware in Three Heights

Kähler's Tulle series is a small family of blue earthenware vases with soft vertical fluting, made in three heights: 10.5, 13 and 22.5 cm. This piece looks at what defines the shape, how each size behaves with flowers, and how the three work together on a table or shelf.

What defines the Tulle shape

The first thing you notice is the surface. Shallow vertical flutes run from the foot to the shoulder, close together and rounded rather than sharp. They are not deep ribs that throw hard shadows; they read more like folds in fabric, which is where the name comes from. Tulle is the fine net used for veils and ballet skirts, and the series borrows that sense of lightness without trying to imitate the material literally.

Fluting does practical work on a vase. A plain cylinder shows one even band of light, whereas a fluted wall breaks light into a sequence of narrow highlights and soft shade. On a windowsill the effect changes through the day: crisp in low morning sun, almost flat under an overcast sky. It also gives the hand something to hold, which matters when you are carrying a full vase to the sink.

The colour is a muted, slightly chalky blue. It sits comfortably beside white walls and pale wood, and it is calm enough not to compete with the flowers. Green stems, white tulips, yellow ranunculus and dried grasses all read clearly against it.

Three heights, three different jobs

The sizes are close enough to look like a family but different enough in proportion to suit different flowers. The measurements below are exactly as Kähler gives them.

H10.5 cm: low and open

The Tulle Vase H10.5 cm blue is almost as wide as it is tall, at 9.5 cm across. That squat proportion suits flowers cut short: a handful of sweet peas, a few anemones, herbs from the kitchen garden, or the last roses of the season trimmed down so the heads rest on the rim. It is the size for places where you sit close to the flowers, such as a bedside table or the corner of a breakfast table, because it never blocks a view across the room.

H13 cm: the single-stem vase

The Tulle Vase H13 cm blue is taller than the H10.5 but narrower, at 8.5 cm across, and it draws in to a narrow neck. That neck is the point of it. One stem stands upright without leaning against the rim, so a single tulip, a dahlia, a sprig of eucalyptus or a stem of flowering blossom looks deliberate rather than lonely. At 0.19 kg it weighs barely more than the smaller vase, so on a desk or a deep window ledge it is easy to move around.

H22.5 cm: the anchor piece

The Tulle Vase H22.5 cm blue is a different scale of object. At 14.5 cm across and 0.8 kg it has the width and weight to hold a proper bouquet, a bunch of supermarket tulips left loose, or a couple of branches in spring. That extra weight is useful: taller stems shift the centre of gravity upwards, and a heavier base keeps the arrangement steady when someone brushes past it.

How the three sizes group

Because the fluting and colour are identical across the series, the three Tulle vases can be grouped without the arrangement looking busy. The variation comes from height and width alone, and that is what makes a group feel composed.

• A trio in a line. Place the H22.5 cm at the back or to one side, the H13 cm beside it and the H10.5 cm in front. The big jump from 22.5 cm to 13 cm, followed by the small step to 10.5 cm, gives an uneven rhythm that looks natural on a sideboard or deep windowsill.
• A loose triangle. On a round dining table, set the three in a small triangle a hand's width apart. Fill the tall one generously and keep the two smaller ones sparse, perhaps one stem in the H13 cm and a short cluster in the H10.5 cm.
• The small pair. The H10.5 cm and H13 cm together are close in weight but different in silhouette, one wide, one tall and narrow. They work well on a bedside table, a bathroom shelf or a desk, where the large vase would crowd the surface.
• Repetition. Two or three of the same small size spaced along a long table read as a single runner of flowers, and keep sightlines open for conversation.

Odd numbers usually look more relaxed than pairs, and mixing a full vase with nearly empty ones stops the group feeling like a display. The Tulle shapes also hold their own empty: the fluting carries enough interest that a vase can stand on a shelf between flowers without looking unfinished.

The same principles apply across Kähler's other ranges, and our guide to grouping Kähler vases by height and colour shows how Omaggio and Hammershøi combine in a similar way.

Earthenware and the Kähler workshop

All three vases are made of earthenware. It is fired at a lower temperature than stoneware or porcelain, which gives a softer, warmer body and suits a gently textured surface like Tulle's fluting. The trade-off is that earthenware is less tolerant of heat and harsh cleaning than higher-fired ceramics, so it asks for a little care.

Kähler itself was founded in Næstved, in southern Zealand, in 1839, and the name has been associated with Danish ceramics ever since. Today its ranges lean towards relief and texture: the grooves of Hammershøi, the painted bands of Omaggio, and now the soft flutes of Tulle. The series sits comfortably in that line of work, a simple form given character by its surface rather than by decoration.

Living with Tulle: care and placement

Care is simple. Wipe the vases with a damp cloth, and wash them by hand rather than in the dishwasher, which Kähler advises against for this series. For the narrow H13 cm, a bottle brush or a little water swirled with a pinch of rice makes it easy to clean the inside of the neck. Change the water every day or two; clean water keeps stems fresher and stops a ring forming inside.

A few placement notes from living with fluted vases:

• Side light shows the fluting best. A spot beside a window or near a table lamp brings out the ridges more than direct overhead light.
• Pale or natural surfaces, such as oak, linen or white marble, let the blue read clearly. On a dark surface the vases become quieter and the flowers take over.
• Earthenware can mark soft wood if it is dragged, so a felt pad or a small tray is worth considering on a fine tabletop.
• Keep the tall vase away from the very edge of a shelf when it is full, since long stems and branches raise the centre of gravity.

If you are starting with one piece, the H13 cm is the most flexible, since a single stem is always easy to find. If you want a group from the outset, all three together give the clearest sense of what the series was designed to do. To see Tulle alongside other ceramic, porcelain and glass designs, browse the full Vases & Plant Pots collection.