Extremely Rare and Important Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jar with Incised Human Figures, attributed to David Drake at Lewis Miles's Stony Bluff Manufactory, Edgefield District, SC, circa 1855-1860, ovoid form with rounded shoulder and narrow, vertical collar, the surface covered in a mottled brown alkaline glaze with heavier runs of green. Incised at the shoulder with an image of a walking man with outstretched arm; a torso or woman design; a circle, possibly representing a moon; and a face surrounded by hair or rays, possibly an anthropomorphic sun. This work survives as one of a small group of David Drake pieces bearing an incised drawing. One, depicting an owl and inscribed "eagle toed owl," sold in Crocker Farm, Inc.'s Spring 2024 auction, lot 1. Other examples are documented in Todd's Carolina Clay, p. 252. He describes them as follows: "Two pots signed by Dave bear images casually drawn on their sides. One, on a jug made on June 1, 1856, depicts a man in profile, wearing what appears to be a military dress hat, or shako, and riding a horse. The other, on a jug made on June 11, 1857, shows a bird in profile, wings folded, striding purposefully forward. An additional drawing of a waterfowl or fish in its beak appears on an unsigned storage jar attributed to the Lewis Miles factory. Only a few inches high, the drawings are primitive yet appear to be the work of an adult. It is not known whether Dave or someone else is Lewis Miles's shop was the artist. . . Two other drawings, which I have not seen, are on unsigned, undated vessels in the style of Dave: A jug in Georgia is incised with the figure of a man; a vase-like pot, also in Georgia, bears the stylized representation of a man, a woman, and what appears to be a full moon" (Todd, p. 252). This final piece mentioned in the passage is the lot in this auction. It features distinctive X-shaped legs matching those found on the incised man on horseback jug (also mentioned in the passage), which is signed by Drake and dated June 1, 1856, as well as a Stony Bluff glaze. Extremely rare in form for Drake's work, suggestive of a specially-made or "presentation" piece, this small-sized jar highlights the artist's interest in expression outside of clay, glaze, and the written word. Literature: Discussed in Todd, Carolina Clay, p. 252. Provenance: From a fifty-year SC collection. Heavy wear to rim. A shallow 5/8" chip to underside at edge, possibly in-the-making, and a small in-the-firing ping to underside at edge. H 6 3/4".
