Lately I’ve been experimenting with ways to age pots more quickly, making the crackle stand out. This time I tried an old woodworking trick, and it seems to work nicely.

I soaked the pots in a strong tea bath then dried completely.  After that, I applied iron acetate with a brush and let them sit a couple of days. The iron acetate reacts with tannins and turns a dark color within about 3 days. I made the iron acetate by soaking steel wool in vinegar. I may change to a weak sulfuric acid solution, since the smell of the vinegar is proving difficult to get out of the pots!