Vase

Nearly 102, Rose Sudmeier still feels a thrill when she receives flowers for Valentine's Day. "You are never too old," said Sudmeier, a resident of Oakland Manor Assisted Living in Sykesville. "There is nothing like pretty live flowers." She was among 700 seniors to have bouquets delivered this week, gifts from volunteers at St. Joseph Catholic Community in Eldersburg. Firmly clutching the bud vase and chatting amiably between gentle whiffs of floral scent, Sudmeier said, "I have no other valentines.

The distinction between art and craft has long been debated, and it is unlikely to be resolved as long as so-called "craftsmen" continue to create objects of surpassing beauty that transcend any utilitarian purpose. We have long since come to accept many functional objects, such as Chinese porcelain, Tiffany lamps, African masks, even Ferrari automobiles, as works of art in their own right, independent of the purpose for which they were created. A great deal of Asian art falls into this category, a reflection of both our appreciation for its exquisite workmanship and its philosophical relationship to traditional Eastern ideas about the value of simplicity, elegance and grace in even commonplace objects.

Long ago, in a land of gods and giants and monsters, brave Heracles rescued a young woman, Hesione, from the gaping jaws of the gruesome Monster of Troy. Hesione threw rocks at the sea creature while Heracles shot arrows at it. The heroics of mythic Heracles are chronicled on a Corinthian vase from the sixth century B.C., the earliest depiction of the Monster of Troy story and a prized artifact at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. For years, art historians have deemed the vase's rendering of the sea monster amateurish - not at all like the undulating bodies with piercing eyes rendered on other vases from the same period.

JACKSON, Miss. - In 1792, with King Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette herded off to Paris for a date with the guillotine, the furnishings of their opulent palace at Versailles were auctioned off and eventually scattered across the world.Now, more than 200 years after the start of the French Revolution, many of those artifacts - including three vases from the 18th-century porcelain gallery of Baltimore's Walters Art Gallery - are being reassembled here.The glitzy blockbuster exhibition "Splendors of Versailles" is billed as the largest single collection from Versailles ever to leave France.

I SEE WHERE the governor wants politicians, such as himself, to refrain from campaigning at the Preakness tomorrow so as not to disturb "the family atmosphere" of the day. Has this guy been on the infield? You can connect the word "family" to the phrase "Preakness infield" only if you're talking about those that have been conceptualized there, under the blankets. And sometimesnot under the blankets.We scratch our head in puzzlement, class.What's with our governor?He must worry that Larry Gibson will hang another Eileen Rehrmann sign on the Pimlico cupola.

A garniture is a decoration for the top of a fireplace mantel. Most antique garnitures are composed of a clock with two matching vases, candelabra or other pieces. Some sets have three or five vases and no clock.The clock garniture was first used in 18th-century France to decorate the lower mantelpiece that had become fashionable. The early examples were made of gilded bronze, porcelain and marble.By the 19th century, clock garnitures were widely used in England and the United States.By the early 1900s, when mantels had become larger and often included a top section, the garniture went out of style.

American Indian antiquesIf you happen to have a sketch book owned by a Cheyenne Indian in the 1880s, Harford County resident Roy Harrell would be the person to see about it.Harrell, an expert in American Indian antiques, has just finished filming two episodes for the PBS "Antique Road Show" series as an appraiser, one in Pittsburgh, Pa., and one in Nashville, Tenn. One of the highlights of the Nashville episode was the sketch book, which Harrell appraised at $60,000 to $80,000. (Check local listings for when the shows will air.)

Rene Lalique was a famous French goldsmith, jeweler, glassmaker and artist who lived from 1860 to 1945.At first Lalique designed jewelry, including some for the actress Sarah Bernhardt. He used many semiprecious stones and also glass enameling and pieces of horn. Much of Bernhardt's jewelry was designed to look like flowers, insects and snakes.In the 1890s, Lalique began experimenting with glass for use in jewelry. By 1908 he was making molded glass perfume bottles for Francois Coty.Lalique continued to make all types of glass figures, vases and bowls, using clear and opalescent glass.

SAN FRANCISCO -- A monster storm had virtually destroyed Walter Yee's beloved San Francisco home, yet he was grinning as if he'd just won a million bucks.Mr. Yee had successfully fought City Hall and arranged an engineering feat that allowed his family to enter their condemned house for about an hour. Most important, Mr. Yee said, the family had saved their two precious Chinese vases from sliding into oblivion."I'm very, very happy, even under the circumstances," a rain-soaked Mr. Yee said, spreading his arms in a triumphant gesture.

Testing, one, two . . . can you hear me in the back? Good morning, ladies and gentlemen of the media. Thank you for coming. There are still a few seats up front if anyone's interested. Our plan is to read a brief statement, after which we'll be happy to answer any questions you might have.Now that Cal Ripken has finally broken Lou Gehrig's record and played in his 2,131st consecutive game, many of you are asking: "Does this mean we have to stop the ceaseless barrage of Cal Ripken profiles, and the endless interviews with obscure figures from his boyhood years in Aberdeen?"