JugOctober 26, 185314 1/2 x 12 x 11 1/2 " (36.8 x 30.5 x 29.2 cm)Alkaline glaze on stonewareGift of Sally and Paul Hawkins1999.18.101540232639Dave DrakeContainersThe American Folk Art Museum believes this work to be in the public domain.Incised 'Lm October 26, 1853 Dave'http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster24557http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster10121http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster12377http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster9780http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster9921http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster9919United StatesSouth CarolinaThree Dimensional WorksObject information is a work in progress and may be updated with new research. Records are reviewed and revised, and the American Folk Art Museum welcomes additional information. To help improve this record, please email photoservices@folkartmuseum.orgreconsider how geography is written, see MFA Boston for example: https://collections.mfa.org/objects/45055
Dave belongs to Mr. Miles / Wher the oven bakes & the pot biles. —Dave Drake, July 31, 1840
I wonder where is all my relations / Friendship to all—and every nation. —Dave Drake, August 16, 1857
How do we fathom the temerity of an enslaved potter incising a name, poem, or date, indelibly fired into the clay body of a stoneware vessel? The history of the turner who signed his vessels as "Dave" has been partially recovered, in large part because of his own self-actualization through such sentiments embedded into utilitarian pots intended simply to store food and drink. More than one hundred examples, fashioned largely between 1834 and 1864, bear his name or date. A number of them also bear snippets of original poetry and observations. In the Federal Census of 1870, the potter listed his name as "David Drake, occupation turner," and that is how this discussion will refer to him.
Drake was born into slavery around 1800, when the United States was still a young nation that was founded upon principles of equality and freedom. Until 1833, he belonged to the household of Harvey Drake who, with his uncle and partner, Abner Landrum, operated a pottery just outside Edgefield, South Carolina. At a time when it was not lawful to teach enslaved people to read and write, Drake’s unusual literacy may have been a result of his employment at the local newspaper, the Edgefield Hive, published by Landrum. David Drake grew to be one of seventy-six enslaved African Americans known to have worked in Edgefield’s potteries, and one of only two identified potters capable of building enormous vessels of more than twenty-gallon capacity. There is some evidence that he lost one of his legs in a railroad accident but remarkably was able to continue working with someone else driving the pottery wheel. The earliest piece attributed to his hand is dated 1821. In the ensuing years, he worked for and was traded among potteries in the Edgefield district known as Pottersville, whose owners—Drake, Gibbs, Landrum, Miles, and Rhodes—were interrelated by partnerships and through marriage. Between 1840 and 1843, and again after 1849, David Drake became the property of Lewis J. Miles, who seems to have supported his textual expressions and whose name appears on this ovoid jug. By contrast, the pots are resoundingly mute during the years 1843 to 1848, when he was working for Franklin Landrum. After emancipation, Dave took the surname of his first owner, Drake.
In 1859, the Edgefield Advertiser published a remembrance of the Edgefield potteries: "The first sight of that furnace nearly thirty years ago—can we ever forget it? … Do we still mind how the boys and girls used to think it a fine Saturday frolic to walk to old Pottersville and survey its manufacturing peculiarities? To watch old Dave as the clay assumed beneath his magic touch the desired shape of jug, or jar, or crock, or pitcher, as the case may be?"
Stacy C. Hollander, "Jug," exhibition copy for American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection. Stacy C. Hollander, curator. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2020. slave madeAlthough free and enslaved black Americans formed a great part of the artisan workforce, relatively few have been recognized for their creative contributions. The history of the potter known as Dave has slowly been recovered, in large part because of his own brave assertion of self through signatures and poetic texts that he incised into the clay bodies of the pots he made 1834–1864. More than one hundred examples bear his name or date, and twenty-six have snippets of original poetry and observations. A seventeen-year period with no poetic inscriptions may indicate an environment hostile to such expressions of individuality.
Dave lived in the household of Harvey Drake until 1833. The earliest piece possibly by his hand is dated 1821 and was made in Drake’s factory. In the ensuing years he worked for and was traded among potteries in the Edgefield district known as Pottersville, whose owners—Drake, Gibbs, Landrum, Miles, Rhodes—were interrelated by partnerships and through marriage. Dave ultimately became one of two identified Edgefield potters capable of making pots with a capacity greater than twenty gallons. His method of construction for such large vessels involved turning the base on a wheel then adding coils that were smoothed as the walls were built up. This simple ovoid jug was made at the pottery of Lewis J. Miles and was probably used as a syrup or whiskey jug. During the years he was associated with Miles, Dave developed the drippy ash-based alkaline glaze evident on this jug. After Emancipation Dave took the surname of his first owner, Drake. In the Federal Census of 1870 he is listed as David Drake, occupation turner.
Stacy C. Hollander, “Jug,” exhibition label for Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum. Stacy C. Hollander and Valérie Rousseau, curators. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2014.POTTERYPart of a workforce of African American slaves involved in pottery production in the Edgefield District of southwestern South Carolina, the potter known simply as Dave brazenly personalized his large jars with incised signatures and poetic texts. Current research places Dave's date of birth around 1800—not 1776, as previously believed—and his death at around 1870. From his youth until about 1833, he is thought to have trained with Abner Landrum or Harvey Drake, the latter having been one of Dave's masters. After the Civil War, Dave adopted Drake as a surname, and in the 1870 U.S. census, Dave Drake is listed as a seventy-year-old turner; his birthplace is given as South Carolina.
Beginning in the early nineteenth century, the Edgefield District became known for producing stoneware with unusual alkaline glazes—wood ash, clay, and sand—that reflected European, African, and Asian influences. This ovoid jug, incised "LM October 26, 1853 Dave" at the neck and shoulder, was made when Dave worked at the Lewis J. Miles Pottery. It offers an important comparison to an 1821 jug from the John Landrum Pottery, where Dave had worked prior to 1846. The forms are virtually the same and the measurements very close, demonstrating the continuity and consistency of Dave's craftsmanship over the years. At the Miles Pottery, Dave began to make increasingly larger vessels, and he was one of the only potters in the Edgefield community capable of making pots greater than the twenty-gallon size. His method of construction involved turning the base on a wheel and adding coils, which he smoothed as the walls were built up. Forms created during this later period of production ranged from ovoid, which was typical of his earlier pieces, to straight-walled vessels with little shoulder. The ash-based alkaline glaze that drips down the circumference is also characteristic of this later work. Although free and enslaved black Americans formed a great part of the artisan workforce, relatively few have been recognized for their creative contributions. The history of the potter known as Dave has slowly been recovered, in large part because of his own brave assertion of self through signatures and poetic texts that he incised into the clay bodies of the pots he made 1834–1864. More than one hundred examples bear his name or date, and twenty-six have snippets of original poetry and observations. A seventeen-year period with no poetic inscriptions may indicate an environment hostile to such expressions of individuality.
Dave lived in the household of Harvey Drake until 1833. The earliest piece possibly by his hand is dated 1821 and was made in Drake’s factory. In the ensuing years he worked for and was traded among potteries in the Edgefield district known as Pottersville, whose owners—Drake, Gibbs, Landrum, Miles, Rhodes—were interrelated by partnerships and through marriage. Dave ultimately became one of two identified Edgefield potters capable of making pots with a capacity greater than twenty gallons. His method of construction for such large vessels involved turning the base on a wheel then adding coils that were smoothed as the walls were built up. This simple ovoid jug was made at the pottery of Lewis J. Miles and was probably used as a syrup or whiskey jug. During the years he was associated with Miles, Dave developed the drippy ash-based alkaline glaze evident on this jug. After Emancipation Dave took the surname of his first owner, Drake. In the Federal Census of 1870 he is listed as David Drake, occupation turner.
Stacy C. Hollander, “Jug,” exhibition label for Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum. Stacy C. Hollander and Valérie Rousseau, curators. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2014.
Part of a workforce of African American slaves involved in pottery production in the Edgefield District of southwestern South Carolina, the potter known simply as Dave brazenly personalized his large jars with incised signatures and poetic texts. Current research places Dave's date of birth around 1800—not 1776, as previously believed—and his death at around 1870. From his youth until about 1833, he is thought to have trained with Abner Landrum or Harvey Drake, the latter having been one of Dave's masters. After the Civil War, Dave adopted Drake as a surname, and in the 1870 U.S. census, Dave Drake is listed as a seventy-year-old turner; his birthplace is given as South Carolina.
Beginning in the early nineteenth century, the Edgefield District became known for producing stoneware with unusual alkaline glazes—wood ash, clay, and sand—that reflected European, African, and Asian influences. This ovoid jug, incised "LM October 26, 1853 Dave" at the neck and shoulder, was made when Dave worked at the Lewis J. Miles Pottery. It offers an important comparison to an 1821 jug from the John Landrum Pottery, where Dave had worked prior to 1846. The forms are virtually the same and the measurements very close, demonstrating the continuity and consistency of Dave's craftsmanship over the years. At the Miles Pottery, Dave began to make increasingly larger vessels, and he was one of the only potters in the Edgefield community capable of making pots greater than the twenty-gallon size. His method of construction involved turning the base on a wheel and adding coils, which he smoothed as the walls were built up. Forms created during this later period of production ranged from ovoid, which was typical of his earlier pieces, to straight-walled vessels with little shoulder. The ash-based alkaline glaze that drips down the circumference is also characteristic of this later work.
Lee Kogan, "Jug," in Stacy C. Hollander, American Anthem: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum (New York: Harry N. Abrams in association with American Folk Art Musuem, 2001), 342-43.http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster24557http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster10121http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster12377http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster9780http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster9921http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster9919http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster24557http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster10121http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster12377http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster9780http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster9921http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster9919http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster24557http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster10121http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster12377http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster9780http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster9921http://nodes.emuseum.com/BU1BGBAG/apis/emuseum/network/v1/vocabularies/termMaster991918531853 1999 18 1 Object information is a work in progress and may be updated with new research. Records are reviewed and revised, and the American Folk Art Museum welcomes additional information. To help improve this record, please email photoservices@folkartmuseum.orgreconsider how geography is written, see MFA Boston for example: https://collections.mfa.org/objects/45055
Dave belongs to Mr. Miles / Wher the oven bakes & the pot biles. —Dave Drake, July 31, 1840
I wonder where is all my relations / Friendship to all—and every nation. —Dave Drake, August 16, 1857
How do we fathom the temerity of an enslaved potter incising a name, poem, or date, indelibly fired into the clay body of a stoneware vessel? The history of the turner who signed his vessels as "Dave" has been partially recovered, in large part because of his own self-actualization through such sentiments embedded into utilitarian pots intended simply to store food and drink. More than one hundred examples, fashioned largely between 1834 and 1864, bear his name or date. A number of them also bear snippets of original poetry and observations. In the Federal Census of 1870, the potter listed his name as "David Drake, occupation turner," and that is how this discussion will refer to him.
Drake was born into slavery around 1800, when the United States was still a young nation that was founded upon principles of equality and freedom. Until 1833, he belonged to the household of Harvey Drake who, with his uncle and partner, Abner Landrum, operated a pottery just outside Edgefield, South Carolina. At a time when it was not lawful to teach enslaved people to read and write, Drake’s unusual literacy may have been a result of his employment at the local newspaper, the Edgefield Hive, published by Landrum. David Drake grew to be one of seventy-six enslaved African Americans known to have worked in Edgefield’s potteries, and one of only two identified potters capable of building enormous vessels of more than twenty-gallon capacity. There is some evidence that he lost one of his legs in a railroad accident but remarkably was able to continue working with someone else driving the pottery wheel. The earliest piece attributed to his hand is dated 1821. In the ensuing years, he worked for and was traded among potteries in the Edgefield district known as Pottersville, whose owners—Drake, Gibbs, Landrum, Miles, and Rhodes—were interrelated by partnerships and through marriage. Between 1840 and 1843, and again after 1849, David Drake became the property of Lewis J. Miles, who seems to have supported his textual expressions and whose name appears on this ovoid jug. By contrast, the pots are resoundingly mute during the years 1843 to 1848, when he was working for Franklin Landrum. After emancipation, Dave took the surname of his first owner, Drake.
In 1859, the Edgefield Advertiser published a remembrance of the Edgefield potteries: "The first sight of that furnace nearly thirty years ago—can we ever forget it? … Do we still mind how the boys and girls used to think it a fine Saturday frolic to walk to old Pottersville and survey its manufacturing peculiarities? To watch old Dave as the clay assumed beneath his magic touch the desired shape of jug, or jar, or crock, or pitcher, as the case may be?"
Stacy C. Hollander, "Jug," exhibition copy for American Perspectives: Stories from the American Folk Art Museum Collection. Stacy C. Hollander, curator. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2020. slave madeAlthough free and enslaved black Americans formed a great part of the artisan workforce, relatively few have been recognized for their creative contributions. The history of the potter known as Dave has slowly been recovered, in large part because of his own brave assertion of self through signatures and poetic texts that he incised into the clay bodies of the pots he made 1834–1864. More than one hundred examples bear his name or date, and twenty-six have snippets of original poetry and observations. A seventeen-year period with no poetic inscriptions may indicate an environment hostile to such expressions of individuality.
Dave lived in the household of Harvey Drake until 1833. The earliest piece possibly by his hand is dated 1821 and was made in Drake’s factory. In the ensuing years he worked for and was traded among potteries in the Edgefield district known as Pottersville, whose owners—Drake, Gibbs, Landrum, Miles, Rhodes—were interrelated by partnerships and through marriage. Dave ultimately became one of two identified Edgefield potters capable of making pots with a capacity greater than twenty gallons. His method of construction for such large vessels involved turning the base on a wheel then adding coils that were smoothed as the walls were built up. This simple ovoid jug was made at the pottery of Lewis J. Miles and was probably used as a syrup or whiskey jug. During the years he was associated with Miles, Dave developed the drippy ash-based alkaline glaze evident on this jug. After Emancipation Dave took the surname of his first owner, Drake. In the Federal Census of 1870 he is listed as David Drake, occupation turner.
Stacy C. Hollander, “Jug,” exhibition label for Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum. Stacy C. Hollander and Valérie Rousseau, curators. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2014.POTTERYPart of a workforce of African American slaves involved in pottery production in the Edgefield District of southwestern South Carolina, the potter known simply as Dave brazenly personalized his large jars with incised signatures and poetic texts. Current research places Dave's date of birth around 1800—not 1776, as previously believed—and his death at around 1870. From his youth until about 1833, he is thought to have trained with Abner Landrum or Harvey Drake, the latter having been one of Dave's masters. After the Civil War, Dave adopted Drake as a surname, and in the 1870 U.S. census, Dave Drake is listed as a seventy-year-old turner; his birthplace is given as South Carolina.
Beginning in the early nineteenth century, the Edgefield District became known for producing stoneware with unusual alkaline glazes—wood ash, clay, and sand—that reflected European, African, and Asian influences. This ovoid jug, incised "LM October 26, 1853 Dave" at the neck and shoulder, was made when Dave worked at the Lewis J. Miles Pottery. It offers an important comparison to an 1821 jug from the John Landrum Pottery, where Dave had worked prior to 1846. The forms are virtually the same and the measurements very close, demonstrating the continuity and consistency of Dave's craftsmanship over the years. At the Miles Pottery, Dave began to make increasingly larger vessels, and he was one of the only potters in the Edgefield community capable of making pots greater than the twenty-gallon size. His method of construction involved turning the base on a wheel and adding coils, which he smoothed as the walls were built up. Forms created during this later period of production ranged from ovoid, which was typical of his earlier pieces, to straight-walled vessels with little shoulder. The ash-based alkaline glaze that drips down the circumference is also characteristic of this later work. Although free and enslaved black Americans formed a great part of the artisan workforce, relatively few have been recognized for their creative contributions. The history of the potter known as Dave has slowly been recovered, in large part because of his own brave assertion of self through signatures and poetic texts that he incised into the clay bodies of the pots he made 1834–1864. More than one hundred examples bear his name or date, and twenty-six have snippets of original poetry and observations. A seventeen-year period with no poetic inscriptions may indicate an environment hostile to such expressions of individuality.
Dave lived in the household of Harvey Drake until 1833. The earliest piece possibly by his hand is dated 1821 and was made in Drake’s factory. In the ensuing years he worked for and was traded among potteries in the Edgefield district known as Pottersville, whose owners—Drake, Gibbs, Landrum, Miles, Rhodes—were interrelated by partnerships and through marriage. Dave ultimately became one of two identified Edgefield potters capable of making pots with a capacity greater than twenty gallons. His method of construction for such large vessels involved turning the base on a wheel then adding coils that were smoothed as the walls were built up. This simple ovoid jug was made at the pottery of Lewis J. Miles and was probably used as a syrup or whiskey jug. During the years he was associated with Miles, Dave developed the drippy ash-based alkaline glaze evident on this jug. After Emancipation Dave took the surname of his first owner, Drake. In the Federal Census of 1870 he is listed as David Drake, occupation turner.
Stacy C. Hollander, “Jug,” exhibition label for Self-Taught Genius: Treasures from the American Folk Art Museum. Stacy C. Hollander and Valérie Rousseau, curators. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2014.
Part of a workforce of African American slaves involved in pottery production in the Edgefield District of southwestern South Carolina, the potter known simply as Dave brazenly personalized his large jars with incised signatures and poetic texts. Current research places Dave's date of birth around 1800—not 1776, as previously believed—and his death at around 1870. From his youth until about 1833, he is thought to have trained with Abner Landrum or Harvey Drake, the latter having been one of Dave's masters. After the Civil War, Dave adopted Drake as a surname, and in the 1870 U.S. census, Dave Drake is listed as a seventy-year-old turner; his birthplace is given as South Carolina.
Beginning in the early nineteenth century, the Edgefield District became known for producing stoneware with unusual alkaline glazes—wood ash, clay, and sand—that reflected European, African, and Asian influences. This ovoid jug, incised "LM October 26, 1853 Dave" at the neck and shoulder, was made when Dave worked at the Lewis J. Miles Pottery. It offers an important comparison to an 1821 jug from the John Landrum Pottery, where Dave had worked prior to 1846. The forms are virtually the same and the measurements very close, demonstrating the continuity and consistency of Dave's craftsmanship over the years. At the Miles Pottery, Dave began to make increasingly larger vessels, and he was one of the only potters in the Edgefield community capable of making pots greater than the twenty-gallon size. His method of construction involved turning the base on a wheel and adding coils, which he smoothed as the walls were built up. Forms created during this later period of production ranged from ovoid, which was typical of his earlier pieces, to straight-walled vessels with little shoulder. The ash-based alkaline glaze that drips down the circumference is also characteristic of this later work.
Lee Kogan, "Jug," in Stacy C. Hollander, American Anthem: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum (New York: Harry N. Abrams in association with American Folk Art Musuem, 2001), 342-43.