Family Vase by Studio Droog

As part of The New Original: Lessons from China, a Family Vase design explores ideas of originality and copying in contemporary design. Inspired by traditional Chinese “Famille” porcelain, the collection reinterprets historic decorative objects through digital production and modern materials.

The vases are made from 3D-printed sand, giving them a fragile, almost temporary quality. Although they appear functional, they are designed to dissolve when filled with water slowly, challenging conventional ideas of use, permanence, and value.

Instead of reproducing traditional ornamentation, Studio Droog translated the characteristic colours of classic Chinese ceramics into soft gradients and layered tones. Blending historical references with experimental design, Family Vase reflects on authenticity, reproduction, and the changing meaning of the “original” object in today’s visual culture.