The Slave Auction
I rarely visit the Antiques Arcade on a Saturday afternoon - too many other people have the same idea, and as I get older I notice I have become more claustrophobic - I hate crowds nowadays and try to stay away from them. But this afternoon has been grey and miserable and I was suffering from cabin fever, so Alec and I took off for a couple of hours, to ramble around the Arcade and have a drink in a friendly hostelry. I'm glad I did... At the back of a shelf, skulking in the shadows, hidden away by other bric-a-brac, I found this; a jug produced around 1858 in the UK by Ridgway and Abington. it is in imperfect condition, but depicts a most interesting, if shocking subject - a Slave Auction and the Escape of Eliza... scenes from the novel 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'. I was not familiar with the scenes from this book, but was immediately aware that the moulding depicted some sort of slave sale. Though the jug was obviously of some age, I was still very taken aback by the expression of the one-time reality described by the scratched inscription on the notice in front of the human 'merchandise'...
"By Auction this day. A Prime Lot of healthy Negroes"
I paid 12 UK pounds for it...(perfect examples are selling on the Internet for between $750 and $1000!!) but to me, it is worth so much more than can be bought with cash...for this is an example of a material item created in response to a time of change in the very consciousness of at least part of humankind. It tells a much bigger story than that of 'Uncle Tom' and is so much more than just a little cracked jug. It will have pride of place amongst the other imperfect but interesting things here at Autumn Cottage.
'Eliza's Flight Across the Ice'
(If you want to know more, this very interesting essay tells much more about the use of ceramics as just one weapon in the fight against slavery).
I have several "imperfect but interesting" items around my house (including myself)! None however would I hold with the solemnity your pitcher invokes.
Posted by: rebecca | Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 19:16
What a lucky find! It's gorgeous, and horrifying at the same time. Of course the horrifying bit is only through our 21st century eyes & moral compass -- the 1858 folks thought nothing of it.
I found a charming little purple glass cream pitcher the other day at the thrift shop. Nothing special, but obviously pre-1914. I couldn't resist it. I love rescuing treasures like this from the unappreciative world.
Posted by: Kate | Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 19:28
A very interesting find, Roz. The two small holes in the rim are indicative of a long-lost metal lid. I found that the British Museum owns an intact example in its' collections:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ahistoryoftheworld/objects/TGyPD9INSyaud4Unj3JyNw
The anti-slavery movement got a big boost from the novel by Harriet Beecher Stowe; it was translated into many languages.
Posted by: Margaret Lambert | Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 20:11
Absolutely stunning. Great article you linked to, also. Thanks for your always-edifying posts. And to Margaret, for your excellent additions. :)
Posted by: Jamie | Saturday, January 22, 2011 at 20:48
This photo could not have come at a better time. I started reading Uncle Tom's Cabin Saturday morning. I realized that in 67 years I had never read it. I had just finished reading about Eliza crossing the river when I signed on to the laptop to read your blog, and voila there was your pitcher. Thank you for posting it.
Posted by: Barbara | Sunday, January 23, 2011 at 23:01
I fully appreciate your find, but I would never be able to have it in my home because of the reminder of slavery. I was born in the South but of Northern parents, so our outlook was different than that of our neighbors back in the 1940's. We moved from there when I was 10, so I wasn't there for the Civil Rights movement.
Posted by: Ellen Elrich | Monday, January 24, 2011 at 01:14
fascinating find, i had no idea of this movement in ceramics ( leave it to the artists to speak out through their work)
i have a friend who has been researching the bill of sale letters she inherited from her family of the slaves they owned. she was greatly pained at even having these in her possession until a friend explained to her how valuable they were to the families of these slaves to find documentation of their existence and family history.
it is so nice when good comes from bad and sad history.
and i am with u about the crowds.
Posted by: Nancy Krampf | Monday, January 24, 2011 at 05:52
Interesting article. Were did you got all the information from? Anyway thank you for this great post!
Posted by: rug cleaning San Mateo | Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 14:21
That pitcher looks very ancient. Where did you get that?
Posted by: California county jails | Saturday, January 28, 2012 at 10:14