A double-handled dark brown glazed earthenware jar with a wide, rolled rim and squat body with …

Images(2)

Jar

Maker David Drake (American, c. 1801 - 1870s)

Date1861

MediumAlkaline glazed stoneware

Dimensions14 × 21 inches (35.6 × 53.3 cm)

Credit LineMuseum purchase with funds provided by the Gari Melchers Collectors’ Society.

Object number2018.7

On View

On view

CopyrightThe images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextSlavery is a condition not only of oppression and subjugation, but also of anonymity. Most enslaved people disappear into history. Those who do not usually survive as numbers on the account records of their enslavers. Sometimes, historians are lucky enough to find a name. In a few cases, scholars know more and these shadows from history become people, with real lives and loved ones who can be imagined. This rare evidence usually comes in the form of narratives collected decades after emancipation during the Works Progress Administration or from the autobiography of a self-liberated freedom seeker. In the instance of the man who became known as Dave the Potter, most of our knowledge comes in the form of a ceramic jar. A few words can communicate a great deal about an individual—such was the case with Dave’s pottery. Dave was an enslaved potter in Edgefield, South Carolina. Like many enslaved potters, he created thousands of vessels in his life. Unlike any other known, he signed hundreds of them and inscribed dozens with poems and verses. An uncommon literate enslaved man, Dave likely learned to read and write while working at the newspaper operated by his enslaver’s family. This particular jar is notable for its large, distinctive signature (about 2 inches high) and the date of production. The inscription reads, “LM June 18 1861 Dave.” This jar is significant because it was created, signed, and dated during the Civil War, a time of great hope and trepidation for enslaved people all over the country. Even during these unsettled times, Dave proudly inscribed his name. David Drake is the full name he chose after the Civil War ended.

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