Lucky me

A week or so ago I was in Alton to meet some people at the Jacoby gallery.  Did some antiquing afterwards and came across this tin box.  Could not believe my luck or the price!  $27 bucks.  I plan to use it for curing fabric before washing.
I'm still trying to figure out where I read (years ago) that the Japanese use tin lined boxes for curing naturally dyed fabric (indigo?) up to 2 years.  My friend Kimberly Baxter Packwood suggested that with humidity, the tin would act as a mordant which I suspected.  I don't want anything to mildew while in storage, so hope to keep it dry--which is perhaps why it takes so long for the curing process.


I have allowed berry dyed fabric to cure 2 months or more before washing--no need to do that with walnut or rusting.  But TWO years is LONG time to wait.   So if using color I need to plan way ahead.  The interior is just as shiny as can be.  The outside is a lovely patina and the lid is red.  I forgot to photograph it closed.

Sunday night I wrapped up a few pieces to rust overnight so that I could reveal them to some visitors coming to the studio on Monday.  It was dark and sprinkling rain!  Had to borrow my neighbor's head lamp when I discovered mine is broken.  Being in a hurry to get out of the rain, I was working fast.  This long scarf was wrapped on my auger.  I piled on green tea and squirted liquid tannin before wrapping and here is the result.  Not washed or pressed yet and hoping to avoid any color shift in that delicate pinkish color.   Love the zebra stripes and wondering if I can come close to replicating this design in future.

If anyone has a source for information regarding curing fabric in tin boxes, I would appreciate your sharing it.