Wednesday, March 27, 2013
The carving of cherry bark is a Japanese craft dating back at least 1000 years. Since then, cherry bark has been used to make tobacco cases, decorative boxes and tea canisters that are revered for their natural beauty.
Cherry Bark As An Art Form
Thought to have begun 1000 years ago in Japan’s Ani region, the carving of cherry bark was taken up as a trade by the Samurai class during the late 18th Century. At that time, Samurais would go into the mountains surrounding the town of Kakunodate and strip the trunks of the wild cherry trees. They would then painstakingly scrape and polish the bark to reveal its lustrous finish. Thin strips of cherry bark were then applied to the surface of other materials, such as maple.
Cherry bark tea canisters, tobacco boxes and other decorative items are still made this way today.
Proper Use and Care
Our cherry bark tea canister is made with cherry bark on the outside and cherry wood on the inside, making for a beautiful tea canister that absorbs the flavor of the tea stored within. For this reason, we recommend storing only one type of tea in the cherry bark tea canister.
Many of our customers like to reserve their cherry bark canister for their favorite tea blends, while others have a canister for each of their teas.
As with all of our tea storage containers, the cherry bark tea canister has an air-tight seal to protect the tea stored within from air, light and moisture.
To clean the cherry bark tea canister, simply wipe it down with a damp cloth and allow to air dry. Never submerge the tea canister in water.