Face jug
Face jugs were made by African American slaves and freedmen working in potteries in the Edgefield District of South Carolina, an area of significant stoneware production in the nineteenth century. The distinctive features of the jugs, notably the kaolin inserts for the eyes, relate in style and material to ritualistic objects of the Congo and Angola region of western Africa, whence many slaves in South Carolina descended. This jug is missing its teeth and lips—a common loss, sometimes occurring as early as the firing stage.
Artwork Details
- Title: Face jug
- Maker: Unrecorded Edgefield District potter (American)
- Manufacturer: Miles Mill Pottery (American, 1867-85)
- Date: ca. 1867–85
- Geography: Made in Edgefield District, South Carolina, United States
- Culture: American
- Medium: Alkaline-glazed stoneware with kaolin
- Dimensions: Height: 7 x 5 x 5 1/2 in. (17.8 x 12.7 x 14 cm)
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1922
- Object Number: 22.26.4
- Curatorial Department: The American Wing
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Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1850
Unrecorded Edgefield District potter
Miles Mill Pottery
ca. 1867–85
Unrecorded Edgefield District potter
Unknown Old Edgefield District Pottery
ca. 1850–80
On loan to The Met
Unrecorded Edgefield District potter
Miles Mill Pottery
ca. 1867-85
Returned to lender
Multiple artists/makers
ca. 1850–80
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