Very Early Edgefield Pottersville Jug

Item sold

This jug can be attributed to Harvey or Reuben Drake. In the early 1800s Abner Landrum began what is now known as alkaline glazed pottery tradition of Southern pottery in Edgefield South Carolina. His first pottery was known as Pottersville located 1 1/2 miles North of the Edgefield courthouse and it was started sometime around the mid 1810s. Abner later sold this pottery to Harvey and Reuben Drake in 1828. Harvey Drake died only a few years later. It is believed that Dave was Harvey Drake's property. (Dave took Harvey Drake's last name when he was freed in 1865.) Harvey and Dave were contemporaries in age and both are believed to have turned pottery at this Pottersville site. Their pottery making styles are very similar. The only known signed example of Harvey Drake's pottery has the gallonage marked with hashes just like this jug displays (see the picture of the single hash mark near the base of the spout). The jug is obviously an early example of Edgefield pottery. It is almost 13 inches tall. It has a nice ovoid shape, a double collared spout, and a light green alkaline glaze. The jug is circa 1820s. It is a great example of an early piece. There are two minor chips to the spout and five very old minor hairlines on the lower section of the body. Someone added some glue along the surface of the hairlines on the base to make sure everyone could see them ;-) ...otherwise they would not be that noticeable. Very solid and stable piece.