ARTISAN SLAVES

In the antebellum South, there were black people who were skilled at certain trades, such as blacksmithing, carpentry, weaving, etc.
While they were probably regarded more highly than field hands, were they better treated and did they live more comfortably?
I had heard that such skilled laborers were often lent out to other rich whites as well.
Did they receive any kind of compensation?
Probably not.

But at least after the war, these blacks were able to earn honest livings, in contrast to the former field hands who were pretty much left adrift, the Freedmen's Bureau notwithstanding.

And what about the blacks who were exceptionally talented in music or the performing arts?
Did their owners free them to join orchestras or theater troupes up North before the war?
There was a 19th century black actor named Ira Aldridge who was notable for playing Shakespearian roles, namely, Othello and Aaron the Moor in "Titus Androncoles".