Rubens Lady Head Vase Value Guide

The Rubens Lady Head Vase is a quintessential symbol of midcentury kitsch, produced between 1950 and 1965 to capture postwar glamour. These ceramic busts are highly collectible for their stylized feminine features, often serving as both decorative planters and elegant home accents.

What Is Rubens Lady Head Vase Worth?

The typical price range for Rubens Lady Head Vase is $65 - $85 based on recent sales. However, values can vary depending on the item's condition, rarity, and other factors such as:

• Condition of the delicate applied elements, specifically the presence and state of the original faux pearls and eyelashes.
• The preservation of the hand-painted facial details, as fading or paint loss significantly reduces the $65-$85 market value.
• Rarity of the specific pose and colorway, with unique hairstyles or accessories commanding higher prices among collectors.
• Structural integrity of the ceramic, including the absence of hairline cracks or chips around the rim and base.

How to Identify Rubens Lady Head Vase?

• Look for the distinct Rubens brand mark or original foil sticker on the base of the ceramic bust.
• Check for authentic applied accessories including faux pearl necklaces, matching earrings, and glued-on eyelashes.
• Identify the characteristic midcentury updo hairstyle and hand-painted facial features typical of the 1950s era.
• Verify the material is high-quality ceramic with a smooth glaze finish consistent with United States postwar production.

History of Rubens Lady Head Vase

Lady head vases became popular in the 1950s and 1960s as decorative planters and cigarette ashtrays. The Rubens brand and similar makers produced stylized female bust vases with painted faces, glued-on eyelashes and faux jewelry for the booming postwar gift and home-decor market. Collectors prize them for their kitschy midcentury glamour and variety of poses and colorways.