Originally published in 1993, Great and Noble Jar was the first authoritative study of South Carolina stoneware—from its beginnings in colonial times and its heyday in the 1850s through the post–Civil War period and the first half of the twentieth century. Folklorist Cinda K. Baldwin examines not only many traditional pottery forms but also the methods by which they were thrown, glazed, decorated, and fired.
Among the topics on which Baldwin focuses are the contributions of slaves and freed blacks to the pottery industry, including the remarkable work of the potter named Dave, who marked his wares with brief verse inscriptions, including this one found on a large food-storage container: “Great & Noble Jar, / hold sheep, goat, and bear.â€
The book is illustrated with nearly two hundred photographs (including fifteen color plates), maps, and drawings and includes an index of South Carolina potters.