Face ju

Miles Mill Pottery|Unrecorded Edgefield District potter

ca. 1867–85 · Alkaline-glazed stoneware with kaolin · The American Wing

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.

Artist

Miles Mill Pottery|Unrecorded Edgefield District potter

Date

ca. 1867–85

Medium

Alkaline-glazed stoneware with kaolin

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1922