Rare Four-Gallon Alkaline-Glazed Stoneware Jug, Incised "June 13, 1855 / Dave / Lm," David Drake at Lewis Miles's Stony Bluff Manufactory, Horse Creek Valley, Edgefield District, SC, 1855, highly-ovoid jug with two-toned brown alkaline glaze, the shoulder incised "June 13.1855 / Dave." Further incised below the spout with the initials "Lm," for Lewis Miles, followed by two horseshoes. This work was evidently doubly-dipped upside-down in its glaze, with the bottom one-to-two-thirds of the jug receiving the second application. Small, flame-like runs are visible below the maker's mark and elsewhere around the jug's circumference, created by this inverted double dipping. In addition, Drake's fingerprints, or those of another potter responsible for glazing the jug, are visible at the base. Drake's remarkable story and output have solidified him as one of the most important artisans in 19th century America. New discoveries of his work are becoming fewer and fewer; this jug, featuring a highly-desirable combination of Drake's signature, Miles's initials, and its date of manufacture, was discovered only within the last few months. Provenance: Recently surfaced in Georgia. This jug is missing its spout, damage commonly found in Drake's work and the work of other Edgefield, South Carolina potters. It survives in otherwise excellent, essentially as-made condition. H 15 3/8".
