Storage jar

In the Edgefield district of rural South Carolina, African Americans developed an outstanding tradition of pottery making between about 1815 and 1880. The craftsman who signed his work "Dave the Potter" is the foremost member of this group, which included both slaves and, later, freed blacks. Dave's thick-walled storage vessels are unusually monumental and made with great technical skill. Apparently known for his intelligence and wit, he was the only black potter in this group to sign and date his work-here, August 22, 1857. He was also unique in inscribing his wares with often-amusing verse; the couplet on this pot reads: "I made this Jar for Cash- / though its called lucre trash."