Important and Very Rare Three-Gallon Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jug, Signed "Lm / Aug 17. 1852 / Dave," David Drake at Lewis Mile's Stony Bluff Manufactory, Horse Creek Valley, Edgefield District, SC, 1852, highly-ovoid jug with distinctive tooled spout and applied strap handle, decorated with an opaque, gray-green alkaline glaze, streaked over a reddish-brown ground. Incised diagonally in large letters with the inscription, "Lm / Aug 17. 1852 / Dave." Three punctates and a horseshoe with slash mark appear on the shoulder. This jug features a wonderful, highly-ovoid form characteristic of Dave's best jugs. Its attractive, high-gloss glaze is applied throughout with different levels of concentration, creating variation in color and surface texture. In heavier applied areas, the glaze is raised and drippy, with whitish tones. In its more lightly-applied areas, it appears almost as a clear glaze, with the vessel's base clay revealed. This aesthetic is prized in Dave's work. Several of his fingerprints are visible at the base of the jug, created when the vessel was glazed. Dave stoneware jugs are significantly rarer than his jar forms, and, when found, typically have damage to the spout and/or handle, often significant. With only a spout chip to speak of, the exceptional condition of this jug sets it apart from other Dave examples. This detail, coupled with the jug's large signature and fine glaze, rank it among the best examples of the form by Dave to come to auction in years. Remarkably, it was made exactly two weeks before the Dave double-handled jug in this auction. Provenance: A recently-surfaced example, purchased by the consignor in the 1990s. Previously descended in a family from an old community in the Savannah, Georgia, area known as Sand Fly, where a number of Edgefield pieces have been discovered. Our Summer auction will mark the first time this jug has been offered publicly in 168 years. Rarely-found, excellent condition with a 1" chip to side of spout. H 15 1/4".
