Are these the types you are asking about??

A bell jar or cloche has no bottom. I have a few of these. I have a larger one that has an old bird's nest with a few fake speckled eggs. I've used the nest as a base for a very old postcard so that it stands up lengthways. A bit of ivy winds around the nest. I love using the bell jars over old plates, saucers, even small silver trays and compotes. I have one covering a small glass stand and on the stand is an old pocketwatch. Another is over a transferware saucer with a candle on the saucer. You can put a small plant underneath a cloche. I've seen the small *statues* underneath them. Tons of neat things you can use them with.

tina

If you like dried, preserved of fancy silk flower pins, they are nice to display with a bell to protect/keep dust free/clean. Collections like kid gloves,jewlery and a flower or a crystal bowl,down puff and a perfume bottle, or autumn color leaves and antique matchbox and gloves,or small books,paper with fountain pen, what ever you love to see protected!

Here are a few I puleed from the internet that might help you out.....
I have a few to and have put them up for now but I usually put them out for holidays and put holiday decor under them. HTH!

Fall cloche-

Fruit or tarts-

candles, shells, sandollars, starfish-

Flowers-

Vintage or keepsake items-

Again vintage, victorian items-

I think this is a painting but I like the simplicity of the lemon-

Nichole, check out what I did with mine for Valentine's Day. It is on the Holidays forum and the post is titled 'Valentine Decorating'.

Here is a link that might be useful: cloche

I have two of them, both of them are on vintage glass cake stands. One has a small crystal bowl of antique doorknobs. the other has 5 gilded fake pears that my DD arranged for the Christmas centerpiece and I liked it so much I kept it. In spring I use small yellow and blue candle rings and put a vintage looking bunny on top.
Of course my family teases about the bunny not being able to breathe! Which resulted in my bowl of doorknobs. LOL

Oh, she mentioned apothacary containers, that's what threw me...to me those are simply glass domes, like I have on my cake server with fake cake in it, which I made, simply for decoration on server...

Jim I loved how you did yours for Christmas, and your cat is so funny!

I never knew that's what that was called. I've had one for 30 years with my wedding cake top in it. A friend made my top, an inverted wine glass with an ostrich? egg on top that is open and contains a little wedding party. I put a few of the rice bags in there with it that are now faded to beigeish grey and my garter which is almost still blue lol. I see the flash shows the layer of dust on the pewter base nicely too. That whole thing is looking kinda rough, at least this thread has me me see it in a new light and I can now go spiff it up a bit!

I love all the inspiration pics and the kitty too of course :-)

I know this an old thread, but I put mine on a raised stand and put dessert plates in them. The stand has a barley twist pedestal base. I put a round marble cheese board on top and then some pretty blue and white dessert plates. It keeps them clean and handy on my kitchen island and is grouped with other items that I use (basket with napkins, candle, old glazed French crock/vase. I often put a torte on there and use the plates to serve it.