Examples of pottery from an exhibit of Edgefield pottery at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art.Photo: Special

Simple Edgefield pottery transcends time

The Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art is featuring an exhibit of Edgefield pottery.

Web posted November 17, 1996

 On Exhibit

By Bill Syken
Staff Writer

A few decades ago, it was easy to find Edgefield pottery at flea markets and antique stores, selling for a couple of bucks in between the Tupperware and the Corningware.

The relatively plain vessels were made in the South Carolina community in the 1800s for household use. Years later, people still regarded them as nothing more than old houseware pieces.

When the original Edgefield pottery was made in the 1800s, it sold for about 10 cents per gallon of capacity. SPECIAL

These days you still might find Edgefield pottery as a garage sale bargain, but don't count on it.

Collectors discovered the pottery in the 1970s, and museums have gotten in the market, said Stephen Ferrell, a modern-day Edgefield potter and student of local history.

When the original Edgefield pottery was made in the 1800s, it sold for about 10 cents per gallon of capacity, Mr. Ferrell said. When he began collecting in the 1960s, the price had changed little, going for maybe 50 cents a gallon.

Much has changed since. The High Museum of Art in Atlanta recently paid $125,000 for a large piece, he said.

When the original Edgefield pottery was made in the 1800s, it sold for about 10 cents per gallon of capacity, ``The slaves would be amazed to know what their work is worth,'' Mr. Ferrell said.

Much Edgefield pottery appears very simple - with greenish-gray pieces withoug a lot of culicues or flourishes. Photo: Special

Mr. Ferrell has a little shop off the main square in downtown Edgefield, S.C., where he sells his own pottery and historical pieces. Maps indicate the sites of the area's old pottery shops. Broken shards of old jugs, some found in recent excavations, line the tables.

He is also curator of a show of Edgefield pottery through Jan. 10 at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, 506 Telfair St. Many of the 35 pieces in this show are on loan from area private collections.

In the early 1800s Edgefield was home to five pottery shops and supplied jugs, pitchers and similar items around South Carolina. Some of the noted shops were the John and Amos Landrum potteries, the Phoenix factory and the Robert Mathis and Collin Rhodes operations.

About two-thirds of Edgefield pottery was made by slaves, Mr. Ferrell said.

Much of the pottery from Edgefield was made by slaves Photo: Special

Much Edgefield pottery appears very simple - greenish-gray pieces without a lot of curlicues or flourishes.

``It's a pure form and a good glaze,'' Mr. Ferrell said. ``It has an elegant beauty to it. Every one of them had a utilitarian use.''

Some pieces are decorated with animals. The most treasured Edgefield jugs were made by a slave named ``Dave'' who had learned to read and write. He sometimes inscribed a brief verse on his pottery. A ``Dave'' piece on display at the Gertrude Herbert carries the inscription, ``Give me silver or either gold, though they are dangerous to our soul.''

The absence of any bow to the fashion of the day is what gives the pots their staying power, Mr. Ferrell said.

``Because they didn't have a whole lot of fancy little goo-gahs, they transcended time,'' he said.

On exhibit