Untitled (Memory Sculpture, High Buttoned Shoe)

Unidentified · early 20th century

Some memory jars may have come from African American traditions of decorating graves with objects owned by the deceased. The objects embedded in the surface of these bottles and jars provide clues about when they were made or who made them. For example, Jug with Finial includes a campaign button for William Jennings Bryan, a Democratic presidential candidate between 1896 and 1908, while High-Buttoned Shoe includes a row of teeth that may have belonged to the maker or a loved one.