Description
This is a handmade, wheel thrown miniature ceramic crock, fired & salt-glazed in the tradition of the Ohio valley, Pennsylvania & Great Smokies crocks & jugs you find in antique stores up & down the east coast. Miniatures were often made by potters at the end of the working day to use up scraps of clay & to sell as novelties. Antique miniatures are much sought after in today's antique markets. This series of miniature pots are fired in a gas reduction environment, which yields the many effects special to that type of firing, including surface texture variation & coloring. However, the salt environment coupled with the high temperatures, tends to eat away at the cobalt used to decorate the pots. Please note: For this series of pots, I have carefully accentuated & refined the decoration using heat cured glass paints after firing, to keep the detail crisp & more in proportion with the miniature scale. The decoration is very durable & can be washed but should not be scrubbed. The surface of the pottery in a salt kiln varies from a glassy, smooth finish, a drier matte finish or the characteristic orange peel texture. Color variations on the surface are caused by the placement of each piece of pottery in the kiln & the type of high fire clay selected by the potter. Each of my pots is signed with a bird foot stamp, reflecting the time a bird ran across my pottery as it dried in the sun, hence the name: Tiny Wren Pottery. This crock measures 3 1/4" high including the handle & 1 1/2" wide at the base & features a tiny wire & bead handle, a traditional motif & rootbeer brown liner glaze inside. You just can't get a miniature more authentic that this. I hope you will enjoy these pots as much as I enjoy making them! Miniature Stoneware, Salt Glazed Ceramic Pottery Crock in The Ohio, Pennsylvania Tradition
