Ansonborough in Charleston in Charleston County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)

Rice, Rattlesnakes, and Rainwater

By Martha Jackson Jarvis

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 2, 2019

1. Rice, Rattlesnakes, and Rainwater Marker

Inscription. Rice, Rattlesnakes, and Rainwater is a sculptural collection that explores the connections between Charleston's natural environment and its rich African-American history. The project consists of tabby (oyster-shell and concrete) houses and barrels covered with imagery relating to the African-American experience of the coastal landscape rendered in ceramic, glass, mosaic, and terracotta. The rain barrels suggest the necessity of collecting fresh water on islands surrounded by the brackish estuaries. They are embellished with glazed ceramic fish cast from species found in coastal waters, including red snapper, red hind, pompano, and flounder; some of these fish reappear on the houses, which are meant to evoke modest vernacular dwellings. The houses are encrusted with the shells of oysters, another local food; they also carry the mosaic image of the rice plant. People from West Africa were especially prized because of their familiarity with rice cultivation; their knowledge was ironically a cause of their enslavement. The houses also carry mosaic images of mosquitos, carriers of malaria that plagued Europeans and Africans

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alike, though the presence of the sickle-cell trait in some Africans made them resistant to the disease. The bottle trees offer additional protection. A common feature in vernacular gardens across the South, they are believed to trap or confuse evil spirits with their flashing reflections. Through this layering of cultural and natural references, Jackson Jarvis's work speaks to the enduring potency of the low country landscape and the many cultural traditions that have built and survived it.

If the gate on your right is open, please feel free to come in to take a closer look.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Arts, Letters, Music.

Location. 32° 47.129′ N, 79° 55.957′ W. Marker is in Charleston, South Carolina, in Charleston County. It is in Ansonborough. It is on George Street west of George Burges Lane, on the right when traveling west. Marker is mounted at eye-level on the wrought-iron fence in front of the Middleton-Pinckney House. The gardens and subject sculpture are located behind the marker, within the

The Marion and Wayland Capo, Jr. Garden<br>(<i>marker is mounted on fence • just right of image</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 2, 2019

2. The Marion and Wayland Capo, Jr. Garden
(marker is mounted on fence • just right of image)

"Bottle" trees visible in garden (behind the fence).

Marion and Wayland H. Capo, Jr. Garden, on the west side of the Middleton-Pinckney House. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 14 George Street, Charleston SC 29401, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Historic Charleston

and in the Lowcountry.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Deep South,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: 14 George Street (a few steps from this marker); The Noyer-Wildhagen House (within shouting distance of this marker); Federal Emergency Administration of Public Works Project SC 1233 F (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Washington Light Infantry (about 300 feet away); St. Stephen's Episcopal Church (about

Rice, Rattlesnakes, and Rainwater Sculpture collection image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 2, 2019

3. Rice, Rattlesnakes, and Rainwater Sculpture collection

500 feet away); Dr. Joseph Johnson House (about 600 feet away); Harleston Boags Funeral Home (about 600 feet away); Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church (about 700 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Charleston.

Also see . . .
1. Slavery on South Carolina Rice Plantations. Rice was not native to the Americas. Nor were the techniques used to grow rice. Both the knowledge and the seed were introduced to the New World by explorers and African slaves that were brought here. As rice grew more profitable the towns of Charleston and Georgetown in South Carolina grew into wealthy ports that imported slaves from West Africa and exported rice to European countries that paid a premium for the “Carolina Gold.” These ports were entrances for the West Africans coming into the colonies and slave trading firms flourished in these towns. (Submitted on June 20, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Human/Nature: Art and Landscape in Charleston and the Low Country. Martha Jackson-Jarvis’ “Rice, Rattlesnakes, and Rainwater” incorporates African symbols and four

Rice, Rattlesnakes, and Rainwater Sculpture<br>(<i>symbolic vernacular house & mosquitos</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 2, 2019

4. Rice, Rattlesnakes, and Rainwater Sculpture
(symbolic vernacular house & mosquitos)

"bottle trees" embellished with brilliant blue glass bottles. The space is filled with elaborately detailed and brightly colored glass and ceramic mosaic pieces. Two elongated house shapes, reflective of the shotgun-style houses found in the neighborhood, are encrusted with shells, terra-cotta fish, and mosaic images of rice plants and mosquitoes - animal and plant life indigenous and important to the history of Charleston. (Submitted on June 20, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Rice, Rattlesnakes, and Rainwater Sculpture<br>(<i>symbolic vernacular houses with rice plants</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 2, 2019

5. Rice, Rattlesnakes, and Rainwater Sculpture
(symbolic vernacular houses with rice plants)

Middleton-Pinckney House<br>(<i>enter here then turn left to access garden & sculpture</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, May 2, 2019

6. Middleton-Pinckney House
(enter here then turn left to access garden & sculpture)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 19, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 571 times since then and 31 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on June 20, 2019, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.