Stunning Dave Drake Edgefield District, South Carolina Five Gallon Jar 1850s Edgefield, South Carolina, slave made. This storage jar has two classic Dave Drake ( Dave the Slave) lug handles that are indicative of his hands. The jar has a rich golden honey glassy feildspathic alkaline glaze, with a 5 X scratched in the top shoulder, also note we have found (185 ) on the mid section of the body, also have found righting on the jar as well, due to rich glaze has filled the words in, but some letters are legible. Also we after further research we believe this jar to possibly be a religious jar with a cross instead of a X that is next to the 5. The cross is perfectly centered and not 45 degrees that is normally seen in Dave's X's that are known. This further the insight to the deep level of Dave way of getting his message out during the silent period of his works while he was owned by BF Landrum. This is a truly historic example and will need proper photo to bring out the letters-verse in the jar. We have had multiple scholars look at the piece. The detailed rim is of his work during this time and shows and strong form which is very a typical of his work. The jar has the remains of the master potters hand prints at lower base, which just gives a rich deep connection to the history and importance of Dave's works. Fresh example from the Wilkes Co. J. Belknap Smith Plantation, these example have never left the plantation/family until they were removed for auction. These have been passed down from generations and are family pieces that have never been offered before, until now 10-11-2022, amazing that Cagle Auction will be the second to ever offer this historic example of fine southern stoneware for sale, since it was sold in Edgefield. Condition - near mint as one can get for age and use, minor glaze flake here and their, No chips, cracks or repairs. Fresh Fresh Fresh Edgefield find. Standing 15 1/2" Tall Dave "The Slave" Drake work is in numerous collections, most notably the Southern Collection of the Greenville County Museum of Art, Greenville, SC; the Smithsonian Collection of the National Museum of American History, Washington, DC; the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA; the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA; and the McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC. The 1998 exhibition The Life and Works of the Enslaved African American Potter, Dave at the University of South Carolina's McKissick Museum was the first exhibition devoted solely to David Drake's pottery.

Condition - near mint as one can get for age and use, minor glaze flake here and their, No chips, cracks or repairs.