Newark Museum Returns David Drake Vessel Ownership to Descendants

The Newark Museum of Art has transferred ownership of an 1852 David Drake stoneware jug to the artist’s descendants.

This move changes how cultural institutions handle sensitive historical artifacts. While museums like the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts have previously transferred ownership of Drake’s work, the Newark Museum initiated this specific process by reaching out to the family itself.

David Drake, who was born into enslavement and gained his freedom after the Civil War, is now celebrated as a master of 19th-century stoneware. His jugs, produced in Edgefield, South Carolina, are highly sought after by collectors and historians alike. One of his vessels was recently featured on an ARTnews list of the best artworks about America.

“Restoring ownership of this work is an important act of justice, one that is rooted in accountability, repair and healing, and reflects the values guiding NMOA’s next chapter,” Lisa Funderbunke, the Newark Museum’s director and CEO, said in a statement.

The vessel in question is inscribed with the date “March 14, 1852.” It bears the signature of the artist under the name “Dave,” alongside the initials LM. These initials refer to Lewis Miles, the plantation owner where Drake was enslaved.

The jug remains on display in the museum’s galleries for 18th- and 19th-century American art. The institution intends to keep the piece on view to the public even as the formal ownership rests with the family.

The transaction involved a repurchase of the item by the museum after the ownership was granted to the descendants. While the Newark Museum did not disclose the specific price, Art Newspaper reported that the transaction cost approximately $135,000, a figure that sits below Drake’s previous auction records.

“For over 175 years, our ancestor’s vessels have carried stories and history that must be told,” said Yaba Barker, Drake’s fourth great-grandson.

Newark Museum Returns David Drake Vessel Ownership to Descendants

“Thanks to this agreement, our family’s mission for Dave’s work to be accessible to the public, and for viewers to recognize us as Dave’s heirs and owners of his legacy, is being fulfilled by Newark Museum’s leadership, and we are so grateful,” Barker added.

The debate surrounding Drake’s work often centers on the written messages found on his stoneware. Historians and researchers continue to analyze these inscriptions to understand the intent and meaning behind the words left by an enslaved man in the mid-19th century.

The museum’s decision to proactively contact the family suggests a changing standard for American museums regarding the repatriation of items tied to the history of enslavement. By formalizing this partnership, the institution aims to balance the preservation of historical art with the rights of the creators’ descendants.