Very Rare Stoneware Jar by Greenville County, SC African-American Potter RICH WILLIAMS
Fall 2024 Stoneware Auction
Lot #: 92
Estimate: $3,000-$5,000.A Note About Estimates
Minimum Bid: $1,000.
Very Rare Small-Sized Stoneware Jar with Alkaline Glaze, Stamped "RICH WILLIAMS," Gowensville area, Greenville County, SC origin, late 19th or early 20th century, semi-ovoid jar with narrow collar and stepped, flaring rim, the surface covered in a dark-olive alkaline glaze. Base impressed with the mark of South Carolina African-American potter, Richard "Rich" Williams. Williams is distinguished as one of a few African-American potters to own his own pottery or sign his ware. Photographs taken of Williams in his shop around the early 1900's—one of which is illustrated on p. 89 of Cinda K. Baldwin's Great & Noble Jar—are regarded as the only period photos of an African-American potter at work. This jar is highly important because of its impressed maker's mark. While a number of unsigned Williams pieces have been documented, very few examples are known bearing the potter's impressed signature. When found, the maker's mark typically reads "WILLIAMS" at the vessel's base. This jar, however, includes the potter's full name, "RICH WILLIAMS", an even rarer mark that we have seen on only a few other examples. It appears that two individual stamps, one for "RICH" and another for "WILLIAMS" were used to create this mark. The fact that other examples only bear the stamp "WILLIAMS" suggests that the "RICH" stamp may have been lost by the time they were made. According to Baldwin, Williams is listed in the 1900 U.S. Federal Census as a farmer, age fifty, living in the Gowensville area of Greenville County, SC and owning a farm. Baldwin notes that Williams is possibly related to freed black Edgefield potter, Milage Williams, who is listed in the 1880 Census as living in Shaw's Creek Township, Aiken County, SC. A Rich Williams jar, illustrated on p. 161 of Baldwin and bearing a "WILLIAMS" mark, exhibits stamping closely related to the well-known "Landrum cross" from Edgefield, indicating a possible connection to that region's potting tradition (Baldwin, pp. 128, 160, 161). A recently-surfaced work, featuring desirable small size and exceptionally rare maker's mark. Provenance: A fresh-to-the-market example, which recently surfaced in the Southeastern U.S. Excellent condition with one rim chip. H 7 1/4".
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