Memory Pot

Description

“Memory” tin coffee pot encrusted in glittering buttons, toys, jewelry fragments, seashells, hardware, a miniature iron axe, and on and on. A miniature oval mirror is mounted frame and all under the handle. An evocative example of this folk art form.

Originating in West and Central African burial practices, “Memoryware” is an American folk art with roots in the craft traditions enslaved Africans brought with them to the United States. As with so many American artistic genres, the creative influence of African-American communities shaped the national culture writ large and the “memory jug” became a folk art craft pursued around the country. Usually dating from the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, the memory object brought together bits and pieces meaningful to their makers, with some examples created to memorialize the dead.

Condition

Aged patina with minor losses, lid indented, and oxidization to metal objects.

Measurements

7.25 x 6.25 inches.

Shipping

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