RICHMOND, VA.- On Wednesday, October 7, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA) signed a historic agreement with the descendants of enslaved artist David Drake (ca. 1800–ca. 1870) regarding his 1840 stoneware storage jug also known as a “poem” vessel. VMFA has restored ownership of Double-handled Jug to Drake’s descendants and will purchase it back for the museum’s permanent collection in return for an authorized certificate of ethical ownership. The restitution of Drake’s vessel marks the first time that VMFA has resolved an ownership claim for a work of art made under the conditions of slavery.
The agreement was signed by Drake’s oldest living heirs, Ms. Pauline Baker (79), Ms. Daisy Whitner (87), and Mr. Johnny Williams (84) in a ceremony that included remarks by Mr. Drake’s fourth great-grandson Yaba Baker, advisor to Mr. Drake’s descendants George Fatheree III, VMFA Director and CEO Alex Nyerges, and Dr. Susan J. Rawles, VMFA’s Elizabeth Locke Associate Curator of American Decorative Arts. Witnesses to the signing included other members of the Williams family (Mr. Drake’s heirs), and museum leadership.
Drake’s descendants began communications with VMFA regarding Double-handled Jug in February 2026. Consistent with VMFA’s values and mission, and with the full support of the Board of Trustees, VMFA agreed to the ethical restitution and repurchase of Drake’s highly important Double-Handled Jug. VMFA joins other institutions, such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Georgia Museum of Art in Athens, Ga.; the Telfair Museums in Savannah, Ga., and the Milwaukee Art Museum, in reaching an agreement with Drake’s descendants concerning the return or ethical ownership of Drake’s artwork in its collection. The action supports the family’s ongoing efforts to reclaim Drake’s artistic, cultural and historic legacy…