From Latin 'vas' (vessel) via French — entering English in the 1500s as a term for a decorative container.
A decorative container, typically made of glass or ceramic, used for holding cut flowers or as an ornament.
From French 'vase,' from Latin 'vās' (a dish, vessel, utensil), plural 'vāsa.' The Latin word is of uncertain ultimate origin but may derive from Proto-Indo-European *weh₂s- (to dwell, remain), connecting a vessel to the idea of a place where something dwells or remains. Alternatively, it may be a pre-Indo-European substrate word. Latin 'vās' also gave English 'vascular' (pertaining to vessels, particularly blood vessels) and 'vas' (a duct in anatomy). Key roots: vās (Latin: "dish, vessel, utensil, equipment"), *weh₂s- (?) (Proto-Indo-European: "to dwell, remain (uncertain)").
The pronunciation of 'vase' is one of the most famous markers of the Atlantic divide in English. British English overwhelmingly uses /vɑːz/ (rhyming with 'cars'), while American English predominantly uses /veɪs/ (rhyming with 'face'). The American pronunciation preserves an older English form, while the British pronunciation was influenced by a later reapproximation to the French original.