Wine Aging Vessel - 002

Last year, I produced roughly 50 gallons of natural wild wines. About twenty percent of that volume was fermented in clay vessels, then transferred into clay bottles like this one for aging. Some of those bottles rest quietly in my studio. Others spend the winter in the mountains, buried in the ground where the cold is steady, slow, and patient.
 
The shape and use of this vessel are informed by archaeological research and experimentation—early storage forms such as amphoras—objects made to work over long periods of time rather than to impress at first glance. This piece follows the same logic: thick walls, a grounded stance, and a form that feels close to earth.
 
Made of clay mixed with desert soil foraged near Valyermo. This vessel feels less made than discovered. Its rounded, almost swollen form carries the weight of something shaped slowly by pressure and time, like a stone lifted from dry ground. The surface is uneven and tactile, marked by small ridges, pockets, and scars where the clay shifted under the hands. Nothing is polished away. The texture stays present, inviting touch, catching light in soft, broken highlights.
 
The glaze moves across the surface like mineral deposits on rock. In some areas it pools thick and pale, in others it thins and breaks, revealing the coarse, sandy body beneath. The contrast between the raw clay and the soft ash glaze gives the piece a weathered, geological quality, as if it has been exposed to wind, dust, and heat rather than carefully finished in a studio. Glaze was created using rocks and ashes from a recent forest fire (pine and willow)
 
The interior was waterproofed with beeswax, following a method that predates modern glazing. In this case, the bottle has been left unsealed and comes with a clay cork.
 
While visually sculptural, this is not a purely decorative object. It is fully functional and intended for experimentation—aging wine, cider, or other ferments in clay, allowing slow exchange and subtle change over time.
 
This piece sits somewhere between ancestral practice, fermentation, and the land itself.
 
Shipped in a wood container (Wait time 2-3 weeks)
 
Capacity is approximately 2 gallons (7.4 liters).
Height: 11.5 inches – 29 cm
Diameter: 10 inches  - 25 cm
Weight: 10 pounds – 4.5 kilos
 
Don't forget to read the section about pottery care.
 
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Shipping Information: I use USPS Priority mail for shipping within the US and USPS Priority International mail for international customers. Packages go out three to seven business days from the day of purchase.
 
Priority mail takes two to five days to deliver in the US. International orders may take much longer to arrive.
 
Refunds will be offered if the item is damaged during shipment. Send me and email and photos clearly indicating the extent of damage to the box, packing materials, and item.
 
Either a full refund, exchange, or store credit in the same amount will be made