Nell Cole Graves (1908 – February 17, 1997) was an American potter, and the first female potter in the Seagrove, North Carolina pottery tradition.
Cole was a prolific potter with many current day Seagrove potters claiming her as an influence. She was the daughter of J.B. Cole and a sister to Waymon Cole. She married Philmore Graves and owned Graves Candle Shop as well as J.B. Cole Pottery (now closed), which was located south of Seagrove in Moore County near the Randolph & Montgomery County lines.
She died in the late 1990s and was buried in the old Fairgrove Church Cemetery behind Graves Candle Shop, now Holly Hill Pottery (owned by a Cole protégé Richard Gillson) located along NC Highway 705 about one mile south of the Seagrove Town limits.
Nell Cole Graves died from a stroke at the age of 88.
Famous quotes containing the words cole and/or graves:
“Has it ever occurred to you that friendship, at best, is a rather doubtful asset? I don’t want friends. I shall have worshippers and followers. People who will obey me because they recognize my greatness. Those who are loyal will be rewarded, and the others—destroyed.”
—Lester Cole (1904–1985)
“There’s a cool web of language winds us in,
Retreat from too much joy or too much fear:
We grow sea-green at last and coldly die
In brininess and volubility.”
—Robert Graves (1895–1985)