Milwaukee Art Museum Returns Two Jars to David Drake’s Descendants
The Milwaukee Art Museum transferred ownership of two vessels attributed to David Drake, the enslaved South Carolina potter also known as “Dave the Potter,” to his descendants, according to Hyperallergic. The report said the transfer was followed this week by a Virginia museum’s announcement that it would return another vessel associated with Drake.
The Milwaukee Art Museum has transferred ownership of two jars attributed to David Drake to his descendants, according to a report by Hyperallergic published September 30, 2026.
Drake was an enslaved potter from South Carolina whose work is also associated with the name “Dave the Potter,” the report said. The supplied source did not provide further details about the jars, the descendants receiving them, or the terms and timing of the ownership transfer.
The Milwaukee announcement was followed by a Virginia museum’s announcement this week that it would return another vessel associated with Drake, according to Hyperallergic. The source did not identify the Virginia museum or provide details about that separate return.
THE QUESTIONS THIS EVENT LEAVES BEHIND
What considerations shaped the decision to transfer ownership of the two jars?
How will the descendants determine the future care and display of the vessels?
What standards were used to establish the objects’ connection to David Drake?
How might these returns affect ownership practices for other works made by enslaved artists?
What information remains unavailable about the Milwaukee transfer and the Virginia museum’s announcement?
YOUR QUESTION
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GLOBAL CURIOSITY MAP · SEPTEMBER 2026