What do you think of when you read “Lily Ponds”? Monet’s serene garden? Frogs on lily pads? I bet you don’t think of a wide, shallow bowl, but that’s what Fostoria and others called these!
This first one is the Century large lily pond. It’s about 11 1/2 inches across and only an inch or so tall.
The idea is you could float flowers in here. Or you could place a flower frog in the center and use these for modern-looking flower arrangements. They are also great for fruit.
You may have noticed the first one was the large lily pond. That’s because Fostoria made a slightly smaller size in Century that’s a little over 9 inches wide.
One thing about Century is it is absolutely plain; it relies on its lovely clarity and crystal curlicues around the rim for its style and looks. That means you would not want these to get water spots. If you have one and use it for flower arrangements, be sure to wash and dry it well with a linen towel when you are done to keep it spotless and pretty.
Fostoria made lily ponds in several patterns. We had Romance before. This one has a funny story. I got it in the mail and Dave thought it was so pretty and just the right size to hold fruit on the kitchen cupboard. I wasn’t sure I’d get it back – luckily he was willing to part with it when a customer bought it.
One last one to show is this Mount Vernon from Imperial Glass, a depression era pattern.
If you want a lovely bowl to display fruit, or cards or flowers, then consider a lily pond. They are lovely and versatile pieces that are easy to use and enjoy.