David Drake, Potter
Program: Masonry
David Drake, Potter
c. 1801–after 1870 · Edgefield, South Carolina. An enslaved potter who turned some of the largest stoneware storage jars made in the American South.
The jars. Alkaline-glazed stoneware holding up to about 40 gallons, thrown on a wheel in sections and joined, fired in wood-burning kilns.
The words. At a time when South Carolina law forbade teaching enslaved people to read and write, he signed and dated many jars and inscribed short verses on them.
The skill. Clay preparation, throwing, glaze, and firing: knowledge carried in the hands.
The trade. Ceramics and masonry share the same material: fired earth. See the brick and tile in Gallery G4.
Hall of Makers · a historical maker until local oral histories are recorded. Scan for the full story.
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