I have also written about some of the Edgefield face jugs in existence today from the late-1850s and 1860s, especially those in museum collections, like the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia, the National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art and Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. These type of objects have been desired for decades, but it would it seem that the current market views Edgefield face jugs as one of the most sought after forms of domestic pottery from the 1800s.
However, the involvement of African-Americans in the manufacture of utilitarian pottery dates back to Colonial America, with known production in places like Charlestown, Massachusetts and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. But there are many more cases, and probably even more-so that are not documented today.
For example, I learned about a small group of African-American potters employed in Texas, while visiting the National Museum of American History with my nephew Jason last summer. I remember walking up to this simple brown-glazed jar, wondering why it was on display, and quickly learning about its significance after reading about it.
According to the National Museum of American History, "This stoneware jar was made in Guadalupe County, Texas by H. Wilson and Company, as shown by the impressed mark on the shoulder. The company was formed when a group of former enslaved potters, Hyrum, James, and several others bearing the surname Wilson, separated from the Guadalupe Pottery when John Wilson sold his remaining interest in the latter company in 1869.
The shape of this stoneware jar and others at H. Wilson and Company suggest a strong connection to the Edgefield District of South Carolina, where some Edgefield potters brought their skills when they moved to eastern and central Texas."
But I wanted to learn more about this business, so I turned to the Bullock Museum in Austin, Texas, "John M. Wilson, Jr. became a key figure in the pottery trade in Texas after founding the Guadalupe Pottery in 1857. Wilson's enslaved workers, Hyrum, James, Wallace, George and Andrew were instructed locally in the craft, where they honed their skill through practice and exposure to other potters.
Following the end of the American Civil War in 1865, Wilson's newly emancipated laborers took his surname, a common practice at the time, and then formed their own company in 1869. H. Wilson and Company went into production between 1869-1872 on land granted to them by John Wilson, and is considered to be the first African-American business in Texas.
The freedmen created a new style of pottery, breaking from the older traditions of their teachers. These techniques included adding horseshoe shaped handles and signing their work. The potters of H. Wilson and Company marked their wares with the company name, a promotional tool for identifying and advertising. More than that, the mark served as a symbol of their remarkable achievement within just a few years of emancipation.
For Hyrum Wilson, the company provided a means to support his family and community, as well as serve as a spiritual leader. H. Wilson and Company became a symbol of what was now attainable in a new society.
Today, the archaeological evidence at the site of H. Wilson and Company provides an immeasurable amount of information about the company, as well as the community. This company's production can still be found today throughout central Texas in old barns and homes, as well as in antique shops, private collections and museums."
Hyrum Wilson and Company Stoneware Jar, Guadalupe County, TX
19th Century Stoneware Jar
Made at the Hyrum Wilson and Company Pottery in Guadalupe County, TX
Marked "H. Wilson & Co."
Circa 1869-1884
Stands 9 1/2" Tall
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: National Museum of American History at the Smithsonian
John Wilson, Jr. Pottery, Guadalupe County, TX
19th Century Stoneware Jug
Made at the John Wilson, Jr. Pottery in Guadalupe County, TX
Circa 1857-1865
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Bullock Museum
19th Century Stoneware Jug
Made at the John Wilson, Jr. Pottery in Guadalupe County, TX
Circa 1857-1865
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Bullock Museum
19th Century Stoneware Jar
Made at the John Wilson, Jr. Pottery in Guadalupe County, TX
Circa 1857-1865
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Bullock Museum
Interestingly, while I studied the Bullock Museum's website, I learned about another piece of stoneware that is connected to production in South Carolina: "This decorative face vessel, created by James Prothro (1803-1871) in the mid-1850s, was crafted with an alkaline glaze, made by mixing ash or lime with clay, and reflects African traditions in American pottery. This method was perfected in South Carolina and brought to Texas by Prothro, who operated one of three Texas potteries listed in the 1850 Census of Industry and Manufacture."
James Prothro Face Jug, Texas
19th Century Stoneware Face Jug
Made by James Prothro in Texas
Circa 1850s
Stands 13" Tall
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Bullock Museum
View of the Side
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Bullock Museum
View of the Back
See Article for More Information
Photo Courtesy: Bullock Museum
Please Stay Tuned...Much More to Come...
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