Face jug

Unrecorded Edgefield District potter American
 Manufacturer Miles Mill Pottery

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 730

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.

Unrecorded Edgefield District potter (American), Alkaline-glazed stoneware with kaolin, American

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Unrecorded Edgefield District potter (American), Alkaline-glazed stoneware with kaolin, American
Unrecorded Edgefield District potter (American), Alkaline-glazed stoneware with kaolin, American
Unrecorded Edgefield District potter (American), Alkaline-glazed stoneware with kaolin, American
Unrecorded Edgefield District potter (American), Alkaline-glazed stoneware with kaolin, American

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.