Untitled 1845 - 1855

Curator: Here we have an "Untitled" ceramic jar crafted sometime between 1845 and 1855. The piece is attributed to an unrecorded potter from the Edgefield District, part of a legacy of African American ceramic traditions. What are your first thoughts about this work? Editor: It feels monumental, even in this image. It's heavy and substantial. There is a graceful flow to it, and also something deeply… melancholy? Curator: These Edgefield jars speak volumes about labor and craftsmanship under enslavement. Made from alkaline-glazed stoneware, this type of ceramic work was produced on a significant scale in the Edgefield region. Its rise and prevalence is related to the need for durable and large-capacity storage vessels. Editor: Right, I notice the embellishments on top, almost like delicate lacework, contrasted with those drips... imperfections. Are those intentional, or a mark of the firing process, the hands that made it? There’s such humanity in that kind of creation. Curator: Those drips, those imperfections, tell a story of material, process and the kiln environment. Each one makes every vessel unique, yes, but they are also related to the nature of the alkaline glaze itself, the way it moves, and reacts in the intense heat. These are huge clues for material scientists trying to understand historical ceramic technologies! Editor: Fascinating! I wonder about the person, or people, who shaped it, mixed the clay, managed the fire. You sense their presence; even in anonymity. It is both utilitarian and expressive, holding history within its very form. Like a poem etched in earth. Curator: Precisely. This pot embodies the tensions between enslaved labor and artistic expression, utility and inherent beauty. Appreciating the craftsmanship involves grappling with these entangled social realities. Editor: Exactly, it is a potent reminder that art can emerge from the most difficult circumstances, becoming a vessel for stories and survival. A celebration of the unbreakable strength embedded in creation. Curator: Thank you. Exploring this "Untitled" work certainly prompts questions of historical context and making practices. Editor: Absolutely, a beautiful collision between memory, the earth and human experience.