Ceramic jug Contributor: The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation

Beyond working as domestic or field slaves in North America, many enslaved people were skilled laborers. This jug was created by an enslaved African American potter, David Drake. Drake created alkaline-glazed stoneware vessels distinguished by their massive size and, in some instances, their inscribed verses. Other distinctive features include the deeply corded neck, high arched handles, impressed thumbprint at the base of each handle, and five incised punctuates at the neck indicative of its five-gallon capacity.