I believe this beautiful piece of utilitarian pottery is either Edgefield SC, or Catawba, NC - definitely southern! It's ovoid form, strap handles, brown/green alkaline wood fired glaze, and light clay are all indicative of the early pottery from these regions. This wonderful storage jar is a rare smaller size for the form, measuring 10.5 inches high and about 9 inches at it's widest point - probably about 2 gal. There are two small, tight hairlines that do not affect the integrity of the piece. There are also some chips and it's a little out of shape on one side where it appears to have drooped before or during firing.
The most well known maker of Edgefield pottery was David Drake, also known as Dave the Potter and Dave the Slave, c. He was an American potter who lived in Edgefield, South Carolina. Drake produced over 100 alkaline-glazed stoneware jugs between the 1820s and the 1860s.
An enslaved African American, he often signed his works "Dave". He is recognized as the first enslaved potter to inscribe his work, during a time when most slaves were illierate, often forbidden from literacy, and anonymous. The item "Antique Ovoid Southern Pottery Stoneware Storage Jar Edgefield SC, Catawba NC" is in sale since Monday, October 09, 2017.
This item is in the category "Antiques\Decorative Arts\Ceramics & Porcelain\Crocks". The seller is "mountainlakeco" and is located in Travelers Rest, South Carolina. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, South africa, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Russian federation, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, Ukraine, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa rica, Panama, Trinidad and tobago, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica.