Vase, spill vase

These fragments make up a spill vase group known as 'The Bird Nester' and depict a figure in blue climbing a tree with vines and bunches of grapes growing on it. Other fragments suggest there were one or more dogs standing at the base of the vase. The vase was made by Sampson Smith at Longton, Staffordshire and dates to c. 1850-1860. Spill vases were similar to bud vases but were used to hold paper tapers or spills which were used to get fire from the fireplace to light lamps, tobacco pipes, etc. The vase was found on an archaeological excavation at Church Street, Isleworth, close to Kew Gardens.