GREENVILLE, SC (PNAN) – Still on view through January 22, 2023, “Expressions of Power: Face Vessels of Edgefield District” is an exhibition at the Greenville County Museum of Art, consists of early nineteenth century Edgefield pottery.
Largely attributed to Black makers, face vessels are among the least understood and most mysterious of pottery. They were not made for commercial purposes and were primarily created as “ritualistic” or “conjuring” objects that embodied spiritual traditions derived from the many cultures of the African Diaspora as adapted to life in South Carolina.
Most of the makers, when enslaved had no rights and did not sign their work. Without benefit of identifiable artisans, the objects are arranged in Expressions of Power in groups that share facial attributes, sculptural techniques, clay bodies and glazes as well as through archaeological findings and/or provenance, are linked to specific Edgefield pottery sites.
A notable feature of Edgefield face vessels is the use of kaolin, a chalky white clay abundant in the region, for the details of teeth and eyes. The mid-nineteenth century pottery that survived is extremely rare and is widely collected and represented in private, institutional and museum collections throughout the country.
For more details about this exhibit and its origin, www.gcma.org. Note: A documenting publication is planned for production in 2023.
About
Considered the premier American art museum in the South, the Greenville County Museum of Art is home to the world’s largest public collection of watercolors by iconic American artist Andrew Wyeth, including a collection of paintings and prints by contemporary artist Jasper Johns. Ranging from Federal portraits to contemporary abstractions, the GCMA’s acclaimed Southern Collection invites viewers to survey American art history through works with ties to the South. The GCMA is the only museum in the Upstate to be fully accredited by the American Alliance of Museums.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCApUboYhb8
A conversation with Sarah Alvarez, Director of School Programs, Art Institute of Chicago, Beth Harris, and Steven Zucker in front of a Face Jug from Edgefield county, South Carolina, c. 1860, stoneware and alkaline glaze, 13.3 cm high (The Art Institute of Chicago 2006.84)