(Edgefield, South Carolina, b. circa 1800, d. after 1873) made by Dave Drake, Lewis Miles Stony Bluff Manufactory, Horse Creek Valley, Edgefield District, SC, olive green and honey brown runny alkaline glaze to majority of form, some surface lacking glaze, tilted ovoid form with slightly incurved midsection, "Lm, May 29 1857, Dave" in bold script across front shoulder of jar, two vertical rows of four punctates, totaling eight, on either side of two slash marks to rear shoulder of jar, well defined fingermarks in glaze at front base of jar, likely 8 gallon capacity, 6-1/4 in. arched lug handles at opposing sides of jar, thick flared neck with semi rounded rim, 17 in. height, 49 in. circumference

Provenance: Private Collection

Note: purchased privately in years past, exhibited at The Bascom: Center For The Visual Arts, Highlands, N.C., in 2017, not listed in the Arther F. Goldberg and James P. Witkowski article "Beneath His Magic Touch: The Dated Vessels of the African American Slave Potter Dave", published by the Chipstone Foundation in Ceramics in America 2006, edited by Rob Hunter.  This jar also shares a date with a jug we are offering in this sale.  Signed and dated forms by Dave with the same date are very uncommon, per the aforementioned article there are only two other pairs of wares that share the same date.  The time it takes and difficulty in producing wares of this quality and size likely have something to do with that.  New to the market examples like this one have been turning up since the article was published and an updated listing of Dave's signed and dated wares is currently in the works. This lot is accompanied with a new appraisal.

glaze voids and anomalies as made, tiny glaze frit to interior of rim, small pattern area lacking glaze in interior as made, similar area on front side of jar and large area lacking glaze to lower back of jar, all as made, some firing lines in interior as made, firing line on interior rim as made, thin old 6 in. hairline below inscription in glaze, 2 in. firing hairline in glaze under handle as made, several surface abrasions to glaze under the other handle, a few firing flaws with kiln debris on glaze, other minor glaze chips and abrasions around belly consistent with age and use, base edge wear with some minor old chips, residue to lower exterior of jar, otherwise good condition overall, no evidence of restorations, a fine intact surviving example of Dave's work