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  • The Milwaukee Art Museum has transferred ownership of two ceramics made by David Drake to his descendants via the Dave the Potter Legacy Trust.
  • One jar was repurchased by the museum for display, while the other remains on long-term loan, ensuring continued public access to the works.
  • This action follows similar restitution efforts by Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts and private collectors, part of a broader campaign to recover Drake’s surviving pieces.

The Milwaukee Art Museum has completed the transfer of ownership for two stoneware jars created by David Drake, an enslaved potter from the 19th century, to his living descendants. The artifacts were given to the Dave the Potter Legacy Trust, a family organization established to manage the cultural and economic interests of Drake’s lineage. In a move designed to balance restitution with public access, the museum subsequently purchased one of the pieces back for its permanent collection and secured a long-term loan agreement for the second vessel.

This transaction marks the latest development in a series of high-profile restitutions involving Drake’s work. Last year, Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts transferred ownership of two signed vessels to the family, an event described by the trust as a landmark moment in United States history. Since then, additional pieces have been returned from private owners and institutions in Georgia. The Milwaukee transfer extends this pattern, signaling a shift in how major American museums handle artifacts created under conditions of enslavement.

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David Drake was born into slavery around 1800 and worked in Edgefield, South Carolina, a region renowned for its alkaline-glazed stoneware production. Despite laws prohibiting enslaved people from learning to read or write, Drake acquired literacy skills and used them to carve short poems and his name onto many of his creations. These inscriptions provide rare historical evidence of the intellectual life and artistic agency of enslaved individuals during that period.

The jars restituted by the Milwaukee Art Museum include an 1855 piece signed with Drake’s name and a larger, unsigned vessel. Both items had been part of the museum’s holdings since 2010, following an exhibition curated by a Chicago artist that highlighted Drake’s stoneware and poetic couplets. The museum later installed a dedicated gallery space for these works, which were initially on loan from the Chipstone Foundation based in Wisconsin.

The restitution process began when the Dave the Potter Legacy Trust approached the Chipstone Foundation regarding the return of the jars last year. The foundation donated the artifacts to the Milwaukee Art Museum, which then facilitated their transfer to the trust. This collaborative approach allowed the museum to maintain the physical presence of the artworks in its galleries while acknowledging the family’s rightful ownership and historical connection to the pieces.

Yaba Baker, Drake’s great-great-great-great-grandson, emphasized the importance of keeping the works visible to the public. He stated that displaying the jars ensures that Drake’s legacy of perseverance and artistic brilliance remains accessible for future generations. The trust views these objects not merely as art but as vital links to family history, offering descendants a tangible way to connect with ancestors they never knew.

The Dave the Potter Legacy Trust was formed following the 2021 auction of one of Drake’s signed jars for $1.56 million. The trust notes that while Drake’s works now hold significant commercial value, his descendants were historically excluded from the economic benefits of his labor and talent. The organization aims to rectify this disparity by managing the restitution and subsequent display of recovered pieces.

Currently, only 270 known pots made by Drake survive, representing a small fraction of the thousands he likely produced during his lifetime. Descendants hope to recover all remaining pieces by 2027. Pauline Baker, another descendant, expressed satisfaction with the growing recognition of Drake’s contributions, noting that he is finally receiving the acknowledgment he desired through these institutional efforts.

The Milwaukee Art Museum plans to reinstall both jars in its American art wing at the end of September. This decision reflects a broader curatorial strategy to engage with complex histories of ownership and creation. By combining restitution with continued display, the museum seeks to honor the family’s heritage while educating the public about the significant artistic achievements of enslaved creators.

These developments highlight an evolving conversation within the art world regarding provenance, ethics, and representation. As more institutions examine their collections for items created by enslaved people, models like the one employed in Milwaukee may serve as precedents for future restitutions. The focus remains on balancing legal ownership with cultural preservation and public education.

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  • Smithsonian Magazine↗The Milwaukee Art Museum Just Returned Two Ceramics Made by Enslaved Potter David Drake to His Descendants