Stone & Lichen - 3 Teacake Storage Crock and Gift! 092601

Please note: Shipping is an estimation and I refund any shipping overage charges.

This storage crock can easily hold up to three 200g pressed cakes of tea.

A SPECIAL GIFT! for the folks who purchase these first 2 storage crocks: The linen cloth with hand-worked lace and hand-sewn seams was handmade during the late 1800's, early 1900's. It has been part of my antique linen collection for over a quarter of a century and I have a very limited stash of them.

Much research and thought went into the design of these crocks.
What I learned is that clay crocks are considered the best method for storing and aging pressed tea. Puer and pressed teas benefit from a small amount of slow air exchange to age properly.

The lid is a designed to be a bit loose, to allow the tea to breathe, allowing just a bit of passive air exchange for the tea to age, but not dry out. The lid can be centered on the crock mouth for maximum closure or slightly pushed to the side to allow a bit more airflow.

In most cases, the lid, on it's own, is perfect for airflow while protecting the tea. Many traditional tea collectors will place a single layer of clean, breathable cotton or linen cloth over the mouth of the crock before setting the lid down to allow a micro-airflow while keeping any pests, dust, or home odors from getting to the tea.

Glazing the outside creates a moisture barrier/protective shield, preventing external humidity spikes or ambient odors from penetrating the clay.

Leaving the interior unglazed creates a buffering that allows the raw clay to absorb and release micro-amounts of moisture. The brown stoneware clay used has an absorption rate of only 1 or 2% so it should keep the internal environment stable.

These crocks will work best if they are filled up or mostly full. A large empty space can create a large pocket of air that can fluctuate in humidity.

A Boveda or similar pack and be set in the crock to create more humidity, if needed.

A small hygrometer should also fit in the crock with cakes.

Crock mouth approx. 6.5"
Crock top diameter from rim to rim approx. 7.25"
Crock height approx. 4"
Crock with lid height approx. 5"

Hand-thrown, hand-glazed, and hand-signed using a brown stoneware produced in Montana.

I create in small batches. Each piece is thrown and hand-crafted in the likeness of the next. I hope you’ll agree variations in color, small marks from the minerals and stone in the clay, or slight sways in design resulting from working with natural materials create the charm expected and treasured in handmade pottery.

Food-safe materials. Hand wash only.