Smithsonian Magazine · People & society

Milwaukee Art Museum Returns Ceramics by Enslaved Potter David Drake to Descendants

The Milwaukee Art Museum has returned two stoneware jars made by 19th-century enslaved potter David Drake to his descendants, the Dave the Potter Legacy Trust. One jar will remain on long-term loan to the museum, while the other was purchased back by the museum for display.

David Drake, born into slavery around 1800, inscribed his name and poems on his work. An 1840 jar reads, "Dave belongs to Mr. Miles / wher the oven bakes & the pot biles."

The Dave the Potter Legacy Trust aims to recognize Drake's legacy, noting his descendants were denied benefits from his labor. The trust formed after a "poem jar" sold for $1.56 million in 2021.

This follows Boston's Museum of Fine Arts returning two Drake vessels last year. Private owners and two Georgia museums have also returned pieces.

The two returned artifacts had been at the museum since 2010. The Chipstone Foundation donated them to the museum, which then restituted them to the trust.

Drake's descendants hope to acquire all surviving works, of which only 270 are known. They see these objects as a way to connect with family history and ensure Drake receives recognition.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.