Dave the Potter, "Storage Jar" Stoneware with alkaline glaze, 1857.Dave the Potter:

(c. 1780-1863) Dave was a slave who threw pots for 29 years. His pots are distinctive due to their rolled lips and poetic verses that are on the side of the pots. Some verses describe him, slavery, or cultural conditions while others give directions on how to cure meat. These pieces of pottery are both cultural and personal commemoratives as well as works of arts.
http://www.usca.edu/aasc/davepotter.htm

Source: Patton, Sharon F. African-American Art. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. 64-65.