While looking at the history of Edgefield pottery, one potter stands out from the rest: Dave the Potter. Dave was unusual because he wrote couplets on his vases and pots. At the time, slaves were forbidden to be literate, so writing poems was risky activity. Many scholars have suggested that this should be considered an act of sedition toward the cause of civil rights. Dave's pottery now sells for over $40,000 a piece! Here are some of his pots:
One of Dave's most famous couplets:
"I wonder where is all my relations
Friendship to all - and every nation."
There is a wonderful new children's book about Dave called "Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave" by Laban Carrick Hill & Bryan Collier:
My students created some thoughtful couplets of their own, which they inscribed into their pottery:
