Brush Pot from Tangaroa.

Not exactly a message in a bottle but this pot came from the Clyde Quay Marina, which is considered the historic part of Wellington Harbour. It has a wonderful history of sailing vessels and Launches dating back to 1904. The creation of this Harbour by the Wellington Harbour Board, formed an ideal small boat anchorage close to the city. The iconic boat sheds were added around 1909, constructed on reclaim land in sections.  Also the Harbour was occupied by the American Navy during World War II.

The pot was found in April 2016 when a commercial diver, now my boyfriend was inspecting a mooring in the marina and always takes the opportunity to look around for objects and treasures.
Despite being full of black, smelly mud I was very happy to receive it as a gift at the time.

The pot cleaned up surprisingly well which indicates a good quality glaze as there was no damage, cracks or crazing. The design is hand painted very well.
The only indication that it has spent some time on the sea bed is the underside of the pot, where it has no glaze has a few marks from the encrustations and barnacles that were mechanically removed. The rest, along with the rust staining cleaned off with warm soapy water.

I researched the style and the red stamp on the bottom and only learned that it is a "Brush Pot" although I have no indication of age or manufacture - how it ended up at the bottom of the marina and for how long, is anyone's guess but I am happy to use it again for brushes in my studio.