Moorcroft Ferox Vase

Pruning roses to ensure they continue to flower over and over again in the summer months, can at times require the need to be careful when handling them. Rosa ferox was a rose that Henry C. Andrews chose to paint to celebrate its warm, pink colour palette. However, it was known for having many thorns and prickles along its stems, leading to it also being known as the ‘fierce’ rose.

Thankfully, Emma Bossons’ design focuses on the beauty of the flowers themselves rather than its stems. At the top of the vase a bouquet of roses are in full bloom. The underside of their petals are

pale pink, while those that bathe in the summer sunshine
are far stronger in colour, offset at their centre by a golden halo. Tight pink buds appear lower down the vase preparing to open in their full glory as soon as the time is right to take over being the centre of attention. To add to the sensation of soft rose petals, Emma has employed the use of sgraffito (the incising into clay of fine lines) to add to the three-dimensional appearance of Rosa ferox.