Benjamin Wade Owen III: A Legacy Forged in Clay Benjamin Wade Owen III (1904 – 1983) stands as a pivotal figure in the history of North Carolina ceramics, embodying a tradition rooted in both ancestral craft and global artistic exchange. Born in Westmoreland County, Virginia—though he spent his formative years in Seagrove, NC—Owen’s life was inextricably linked to the revival of stoneware pottery in the region, driven by the visionary efforts of Jacques Busbee and Juliana Royster Busbee at Jugtown Pottery. His artistic journey began with a deep appreciation for Asian porcelain aesthetics ins…