Medium
Alkaline-glazed stoneware
Dimensions
Height: 22 5/8 in. (57.5 cm); diameter: 27 in. (68.6 cm); circumference (widest): 72 in. (182.9 cm); 82 lbs (37.2 kg); approximately 25 gallon capacity
Classification
Storage jar
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Ronald S. Kane Bequest, in memory of Berry B. Tracy, 2020
Accession Number
2020.7
Art Historical Context
This monumental storage jar, crafted in 1858 by Dave—later recorded as David Drake—at the Stony Bluff Manuf, exemplifies the robust tradition of American stoneware pottery from the antebellum South. Measuring an impressive 22⅝ inches tall with a 27-inch diameter weighing 82 pounds, it boasts a staggering 25-gallon capacity, designed for practical farm use like storing foodstuffs or liquids. The alkaline glaze, made from wood ash and applied to the durable stoneware body, produces a glossy, mottled finish that was both functional—resistant to acids and leaks—and visually striking. Dave, an ens...
About the Artist
Dave (later recorded as David Drake)|Stony Bluff Manufactory (American| ) · 1801 | –1870 |
American, ca. 1801–1870s|