David Drake's Jar Rivals Paul Revere Bowl at MFA Boston

David Drake's 1857 ceramic jar, created while enslaved in South Carolina, is now prominently displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston (MFA) alongside Paul Revere's 1768 Sons of Liberty silver bowl. The jar, inscribed with a poem and signed 'Dave,' defied literacy bans that prohibited teaching enslaved people to read. It anchors the museum's newly redesigned 18th-century galleries in the Art of the Americas wing, reopened for America's 250th anniversary. The reimagined space features 400 objects from North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean. Drake, born around 1800 in Edgefield, South Carolina, was owned by Harvey Drake and produced an estimated 40,000 pieces, many large storage jars. His work gained recognition; one jar sold for $1.56 million at auction in 2021. In fall 2025, the MFA reached an agreement to restore ownership of two Drake jars to his descendants, purchasing one back and keeping the other on loan. The galleries open during a Juneteenth open house and an 'America at 250' celebration on June 20.