by Patrick Sheary
Remarkable—little else could accurately characterize the skill and breadth of David Drake, an enslaved African-American potter who is remembered as one of the most prolific talents of the 19th century. Drake is estimated to have made 40,000 pots beginning in the 1830s until his death in the 1870s. He also learned to read and write during a period when literacy was illegal for slaves. Some of his jars featured short, incised poems like: “Making this jar: I had all thoughts / lads & gentlemen: never out walks.”
The important alkaline-glazed earthenware jar featured above is inscribed by Drake, who was the first known African-American potter to sign his work. At the top of the vessel is the inscription “x LM April 25 1861 Dave.” The “LM” refers to Lewis Miles, Drake’s enslaver, who ran the pottery manufactory in the Edgefield District of South Carolina, an area famous for its wares.
Drake trained under an earlier master, whose surname he took after emancipation. Sometimes referred to as Dave the Slave or Dave the Potter, as he often signed his pots, Drake is known for making large, heavy storage jars possible only at the hands of an immensely strong and proficient master. This jar is 13.5” high and 14” in diameter.