American & Southern Spotlight: The Burrison Collection | November 22, 2024
Even after only the most cursory amount of research on the subject of this story, it is unmistakable that Dr. John Burrison, professor at Georgia State University, is a man of singular passion. The object of this passion? Folklore, and if one must be specific, that of the American South (though he maintains an appreciation for that of the British Isles as well). It is Southern folklore that is the subject of the majority of his nine books. But if that is still too broad, the folk pottery of Georgia has a special place in his heart. This is the field in which Dr. Burrison is one of the top scholars, practically pioneering study of the field through hands-on field research, driving around rural areas and stopping to talk to people about the ceramics on their porch. Additionally, Dr. Burrison is the curator of the Folk Pottery Museum of Northeast Georgia and was the curator of Shaping Traditions: Folk Arts in a Changing South, a loaned exhibit at the Atlanta History Center which Brunk Auctions is proud to offer as a major part of our American & Southern sale in our 2024 Finale.
Two of his books, Brothers in Clay: The Story of Georgia Folk Pottery and From Mud to Jug: The Folk Potters and Pottery of Northeast Georgia, are regarded as essential reading for collectors and academics alike. How could it not, when the author himself is both the former and the latter? The passion and eye for the craft with which Dr. Burrison cultivated his personal collection is evident, and many are featured in his books or have been displayed in the museums mentioned above. Such is the case with the top lot of the sale, an Edgefield face jug (lot 1120) attributed to an enslaved African American craftsman and showcased in the Shaping Traditions exhibit. It bears an estimate of $25,000-35,000.
The previously-mentioned book Brothers in Clay was inspired by folk potter legend and personal friend Lanier Meaders, a member of a family considered veritable Southern Appalachian ceramic royalty. As such, of particular interest is a jack-o’-lantern devil face jug (lot 1122), which Meaders made few of. This specific piece is pictured in Brothers in Clay and has an auction estimate of $5,000-10,000.
Finally, we have a true rarity, what is believed to be the only known signed, dated, and decorated jug by J.C. Avera (lot 1129). This piece, inscribed with the date August 31, 1971, was made for a wealthy landowner named John Marshall, noted for his love of fox hunting. As such, this piece is decorated with scenes of a fox hunt and proclaims via inscription that it is “J. MARSHALL’S JUG.” It too was shown at Dr. Burrison’s Shaping Traditions exhibit and has an auction estimate of $5,000-10,000.
Whether a lifelong collector and ceramic expert like Dr. Burrison, or someone with a more casual interest in folk pottery, we hope you find the selection of Southern ware present in our American & Southern sale on December 5th, 2024 to be as captivating and inspiring as Dr. Burrison’s work proves it can be.
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