Rare Pieces of Pottery by David Drake Come to Sale with Brunk Auctions

David Drake was an enslaved Black American potter living and working in Edgefield, South Carolina. Also known as Dave the Potter, he was the foremost and significant enslaved artist to inscribe his pottery. He would also carve rhyming couplets along with his signature. A stoneware jar by Drake, produced at Lewis Miles Stony Bluff Manufactory, is a key highlight of the upcoming sale from Brunk Auctions. It has olive green and honey brown runny alkaline glaze on most of the form. The jar features a tilted ovoid form with midsection slightly curved inwards. It is marked “Lm, May 29 1857, Dave” in bold script across front shoulder with two rows of four punctates. Another rare ovoid piece by Drake is a jug with speckled greenish brown alkaline glaze with evidence of a fingertip at the base edge. It has an applied strap handle with finger mark at the end and a collared spout with rounded rim.

An oil on canvas painting titled Banlieue de Paris by Jean-François Raffaëlli also leads the catalog. The French Realist artist portrays an Impressionist-style suburban landscape with figures of domestic animals. To view the complete catalog and register to bid in the upcoming Premier Auction, visit Bidsquare and browse other online auctions.