These vases have an oval cartouche decorated with a female figure holiding a cornucopia, which is surrounded by acanthus leaves and scrolls. The cornucopia was a recurrent motif of Marx's design work. Often converting it into purely decorative forms, it was used as a repeat on hand-blocked fabrics, wood-engravings and curtain designs. The cornucopia is an emphatically feminine symbol - it was usually held by a female figure and typically overflowed with fruits of the harvest - and has been frequently used since classical antiquity to depict peace plenty and wealth.