Current Exhibit

Face Jugs: Where Did They Come From? is curated by folklorist Dr. John Burrison, who has taught at Georgia State University for 60 years and serves as the Museum’s curator. The exhibition examines the cultural threads behind Southern face vessels, highlighting connections to African and German ceramic traditions and the important role of Edgefield, South Carolina, in shaping the form in the 19th century.

Face jugs became widely known in the 1960s and 1970s through Mossy Creek potter Lanier Meaders, but their story begins much earlier. From Edgefield, the tradition moved into Northeast Georgia, where generations of potters adapted and sustained it, making the face jug a defining feature of the region’s pottery heritage.

Drawing from the Museum’s permanent collection, including works rarely on display, the exhibition invites visitors to consider how ideas travel, change, and take root in new communities.

Thank you to our Exhibit Sponsor