Glass chicken egg used for inducing hens to lay eggs. According to Mrs. Gold, to encourage a hen to lay eggs in a specific place, farmers would often begin making their nests and place the artificial nesting eggs in them with the hope that the hen would complete her nest in that location. This also helped the farmer keep track of which hens were laying eggs and where the eggs were located. The glass eggs remained in the nest until the hen laid and incubated the eggs and the offspring hatched. It was important to maintain this process and promptly remove the artificial egg so that it could be reused.
A glass turkey egg used to encourage turkey hens to lay eggs in a particular location. According to Mrs. Gold, to encourage a hen to lay eggs in a specific place, farmers would often begin making their nests and place the artificial nesting eggs in them with the hope that the hen would complete her nest in that location. This also helped the farmer keep track of which hens were laying eggs and where the eggs were located. The glass eggs remained in the nest until the hen laid and incubated the eggs and the offspring hatched. It was important to maintain this process and promptly remove the artificial egg so that it could be reused.
Front and top views of a contemporary sweetgrass basket for decorative use in the shape of a hat; center constructed of pine needle; sewn with palmetto leaf.
Front and top views of a contemporary sweetgrass basket for decorative use in the shape of a hat; center constructed of pine needle; sewn with palmetto leaf.
Front and interior views of a multiple views of a contemporary sweetgrass basket in the form of a hat, made of sweetgrass and bulrush and sewn with palmetto leaf. There is a felt band sewn inside.
Front, interior, and profile views of a multi-colored basket made of sweetgrass, bulrush, and pine needle, sewn with palmetto leaf. Sweetgrass is natural and dyed blue, orange, and red. A wrapped hinge is sewn into the bottom for hanging purposes.
Full and profile views of a coiled basket, possibly used for fruit, with a cross handle; made with sweetgrass, bulrush and pine needle, sewn with palmetto leaf. Basket is asymmetric and sits extremely crooked in its natural state; this feature has been manually edited somewhat in the images to ease viewing the object.
Copper slave badge, square in shape, reading "Charleston 20 Servant 1823." Under the date, a stamp reads "LAFA," signifying the maker, John Joseph Lafar.
Chair made by slaves from Ridgley Plantation near Florence, South Carolina. The chair is made with mortise and tenon joints reinforced with square nails. The seat is of animal skin. Evidence that the legs of the chair have been shortened indicates that it was a slave's chair. Slaves were not permitted to sit higher than the master or his children.
Salt-glazed border tiles made from kiln-fired red clay, used to line walkways and gardens. Made by slave labor on a plantation near Hickory Hill, South Carolina. Four tiles exist in the collection, two of each shown here.
Copper slave badge, square in shape. Face is stamped "Charleston 1840 Servant 1869." 1840 is the year produced and 1869 signifies that it was the 1,869th "servant" badge sold that year.
Slave auctioneer's token, 1846. These tokens were distributed as one-cent pieces and served as advertisements for the businesses and services depicted on the coins. Face view of token reads "W.W. Wilbur Auction & Commission Merchant; Charleston, So. Ca.; Going at Only A Penny" encircling the image of an auctioneer. Obverse view of token reads "Merchants & Manufactors Agents; Collection Broker Notary Public" encircling the image of a tree.
Five dollar bill issued by the Farmers & Exchange Bank of Charleston and dated September 28, 1853. Bill depicts an African American tending to a wagon pulled by oxen. Engraved by Toppan, Carpenter, Kasilear & Company, Philadelphia and New York.
Pewter slave badge produced for a servant in Charleston, S.C. It was common to counterfeit badges to avoid paying taxes, and this particular one was not issued by the city, but created in the stamped year. The face is stamped "Charleston 1862 Servant #4." Back side contains no markings.
Five dollar Confederate greenback issued on February 17, 1864 and redeemable two years after the ratification of a treaty of peace between the Confederate States of America and the United States of America. Printed by Evans & Cogswell in Charleston, South Carolina and engraved by Keatinge & Ball of Columbia, South Carolina.
Ten dollar Confederate greenback issued on February 17, 1864 and redeemable two years after the ratification of a treaty of peace between the Confederate States of America and the United States of America. Printed by Evans & Cogswell in Charleston, South Carolina and engraved by Keatinge & Ball of Columbia, South Carolina.
Framed oil portrait of Thomas Miller, African American lawyer, politician, and educator who was a South Carolina legislator, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, and first President of South Carolina State College (formerly the Colored Normal Industrial Agricultural and Mechanical College of South Carolina).
Framed oil painting, "Shrimp Vendor," depicting an African American man with a tray of shrimp walking by a house with iron fence and balcony, typical of Charleston homes. On long term loan to the Avery Research Center from St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.
Untitled oil painting depicting a sailing vessel led by a tugboat. A buoy appears in the forefront and a city is visible in the background. Back of framed image reads "To our Friends The Sanfords; Xmas 1927; Elise and Teddy Harleston."
Front and interior views of a sewing basket made of sweetgrass, bulrush, and pine needle, sewn with palmetto leaf. Basket has a double handle and a hinge that attaches the cover to the basket. The cover contains a hole for sewing material, typical of a sewing basket. Unstable, poor condition.
Front and interior views of a coiled basked made of sweetgrass, pine needle, and bulrush, sewn with palmetto leaf. Domed lid has a knob and is decorated with pine knots. Lid is connected by a hinge on one side and contains a protruding piece that fits into a loop on the other side, securing it when closed.
Coiled, oblong fruit basket with cross handle made of sweetgrass, bulrush, and pine needle, sewn with palmetto leaf. This basket was created by a left-handed artist, visually evident by the slant of the palmetto leaf wraps. The wraps in a right-handed basket typically slant to the left, while the wraps in this basket slant to the right.
Thick coiled rice fanner made of bulrush fastened with palmetto leaf. Although this is a contemporary basket, it is a very old form; few basketmakers use bulrush today because it is extremely tough to work.
Thick coiled round basket of bulrush fastened with palmetto leaf. Although this is a contemporary basket, it is a very old form; few basketmakers use bulrush today because it is extremely tough to work.
Multiple views of a hinged sweetgrass basket with domed cover, decorated with pine knots and used as a sewing basket. Made with sweetgrass, pine needle, and bulrush sewn with palmetto leaf.
Egg basket made of sweetgrass, bulrush, and pine needle, sewn with palmetto leaf. Cross handle is decorated with pine knots; wall slopes out from flared mouth and in towards bottom.
Glass server with handles and eight sections for glasses. The center section is open; bottom of tray has open star configuration. Made of sweetgrass and pine needle, sewn with palmetto leaf. Also called a "ring tray."
Thick coiled bulrush basket sewn with palmetto leaf; possibly contains oak splits. Although this is a contemporary basket, it is a very old form; few basketmakers use bulrush today because it is extremely tough to work. Unstable base, poor condition.
Front and interior views of a coiled sewing basket made of bulrush, pine needle, and sweetgrass sewn with palmetto leaf. Basket has two handles and a lid that is decorated with pine knots.
Front and interior views of a tightly woven grain storage box with two handles; traditional form. Made of sweetgrass and pine needle and sewn with palmetto leaf.
Thick coiled basket of bulrush fastened with palmetto leaf. Contains two handles; used as a hamper or a trash basket. Although this is a contemporary basket, it is a very old form; few basketmakers use bulrush today because it is extremely tough to work.
Sweetgrass magazine tray with cross handle. Tray is made of sweetgrass, bulrush, and pine needles sewn with palmetto leaf. Tray is accented with pine knot decorations.
