Dovetails and Stitches
Propagation Vase – Lean on Me | Hardwood & Copper
Propagation Vase – Lean on Me | Hardwood & Copper
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Lean on Me is a tabletop propagation vase made from solid hardwood, solid copper and borosilicate glass, designed to give larger cuttings and growing roots a little more room.
At approximately 10 inches tall with a 3½-inch-diameter hardwood base, it has more presence than a typical test-tube propagation vase without taking over a shelf, desk or windowsill. The borosilicate glass tube measures approximately 1¼ inches inside diameter × 8 inches long, leaving plenty of room to watch the roots develop.
Asha turns each hardwood base on the lathe and forms the solid copper spiral by hand. The copper is polished and lacquered to help reduce tarnishing.
Choose walnut, cherry or white oak. Each Lean on Me is made one at a time by Asha in our Alabama studio.
The Dovetails standard
What leaves our shop carries our name.
We build in small numbers, answer our own email, and put our hands on every piece before it leaves. These are the standards we hold ourselves to, no matter what we are making.
- Built hereDesigned and made in our workshop. Not outsourced, white-labeled, or bought finished.
- Materials named plainlyWe tell you what a piece is made from, where it matters, and why we chose it.
- Designed for real roomsIt has to work once someone lives with it, not just look good in a photograph.
- Clear expectationsWe tell you what is in stock, what is made to order, and when it should leave the shop.
- We make it rightIf something arrives damaged or is not as it should be, we take care of it.
For this piece
- Hand-turned solid hardwood base
- Hand-formed solid copper spiral
- Oversized glass propagation vessel
- Walnut, cherry or white oak
- Copper polished & lacquered to reduce tarnishing
- Made & signed by Asha
THE DESIGN
From a block of hardwood and a length of copper.
Lean on Me was playing in the studio, and she started thinking about what that idea might look like rather than simply what it meant.
One thing supporting another.
That became the copper.
It rises from the hardwood base, reaches alongside the glass and curls around it to hold the propagation tube in place.
The wood anchors the copper. The copper supports the glass. And the glass gives a cutting somewhere to put down roots.
The name came first.
The shape followed.
THE MAKING
That spiral starts with a straight piece of wire.
Asha turns each one on the lathe, shaping the profile by hand until the base has the proportions she wants and enough weight to anchor the tall glass above it.
Then she moves to the copper.
Each spiral begins as a straight length of solid copper wire. Asha polishes and lacquers it first to help reduce tarnishing, then coils it by hand around a wooden form she made specifically for Lean on Me.
The form keeps the turns evenly spaced and gives each spiral the diameter it needs to support the glass.
Two very different materials. Two very different processes.
Both shaped by hand around something spinning or round.
Asha forms each copper spiral by hand around a wooden rod she made to keep the turns evenly spaced.
Shop note
They're charming, but put a healthy pothos or philodendron cutting in one and things can get crowded pretty quickly.
Asha wanted Lean on Me to have a little more room.
The glass is oversized for a reason. There's space for a substantial cutting, more water, and the part we think is most interesting anyway: the roots.
Because once they start growing, we don't think they should be hidden.
They twist around each other. New ones appear. Tiny branches form off larger roots. Before long, what's happening below the water can be every bit as interesting as what's happening above it.
So we gave it room.
The plant gets the top half. The roots get their share too.
CHOOSE YOUR HARDWOOD
Three woods. One looks best in your room.
Walnut, cherry or white oak. Each changes the way the warm copper plays against the wood.
White Oak
White oak has structure. The grain is more pronounced, the lines more confident, and it sits naturally against modern rooms and black hardware. If walnut feels quiet, white oak feels intentional.
Cherry
Cherry is the only one that keeps changing after it leaves our shop. It starts warm and gets richer every year, especially in sunlight. If you like the idea that your home should tell time, cherry rewards patience.
Walnut
Walnut doesn't ask for attention. It already has it. Deep chocolate brown with a quiet authority that settles a busy room rather than competing with it. It's the wood we reach for when a piece should feel like it has always belonged there.
CARE: Remove the glass tube before cleaning. Wash the borosilicate glass with warm water and mild dish soap, then rinse and dry before returning it to the base. Wipe the hardwood with a soft, slightly damp cloth and dry promptly. Do not soak the wood or place it in a dishwasher. The copper is polished and lacquered to help reduce tarnishing. Wipe it gently with a soft, dry cloth. Avoid copper polish, abrasives and harsh cleaners, which can damage the protective lacquer. For regular propagation, change the water as needed and rinse the glass when you do. If mineral deposits develop, clean the glass separately before returning it to the vase.
Specifications
Every measurement has a reason.
| Overall height | Approx. 10" |
|---|---|
| Glass tube | 8" long, approx. 1 1/4" I.D. |
| Glass in base | Approx. 2 to 2 1/2" |
| Glass exposed | Approx. 5 1/2 to 6" |
| Base | Approx. 3 1/2" dia., turned cylinder |
| Copper | Six turns around the exposed glass |
In the box
- Hand-turned hardwood base
- Hand-formed copper spiral
- Borosilicate glass tube
Frequently asked questions