Absalom Jones Jug

Item

Type
Ewer or Jug
Title
Absalom Jones Jug
Rationale
Celebrates Reverend Absalom Jones, who was born enslaved in Delaware and became a prominent religious and abolition leader.
Description
Adorned with a silhouette of the Reverend Absalom Jones and Masonic emblems, this jug likely commemorates the tenth anniversary of the first African American Masonic order, which Jones co-founded in 1798. It may have been used in ceremonial Masonic settings or in the home of an admirer.

Born enslaved in Sussex County, Delaware, Jones moved with his enslaver to Philadelphia where he eventually bought his wife's freedom and then was manumitted by his enslaver in 1784. He subsequently worked to form the Free African Society, an organization that assisted newly freed people. Jones became the first African American ordained as an Episcopal minister, and was a leading voice for the abolition of slavery.
Date
c. 1808
1700s, 1800s
Place
Delaware
Subject
The first African American Masonic order
Pottery
Creator
Unidentified Artist
Extent
Physical Object: h 22.2 x w 17.8 x d 22.9cm (8 3/4 x 7 x 9")
Digital: 544 x 658 px
Medium
Ceramic
Provenance
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; gift of Sidney Kaplan
Publisher
National Portrait Gallery
Rights
The copyright and related rights status of this Item has not been evaluated. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information.