Chase “Kahwinhut” Earles is one of the few Caddo potters working today.  He has created a series inspired by Indigenous Futurism as a way to understand and focus on historic Caddo vessels and designs.  This is a traditional Caddo jar that is entitled “Kah-how-din’ooh-nah: Lightning and Hail.”  The jar has a round body and an elongated neck. The piece is made from native clay and stone-polished.  It was traditionally fired to a dark black-brown coloration.  After the firing, it was incised with lightning and hail designs.  The jar is striking in appearance and detail of design.  It is signed on the bottom.

The Caddo were a tribal group throughout the Oklahoma, Texas, and Louisiana areas.  Chase draws inspiration from the ancient Caddo pieces, yet they are not replicas.  The connection in the ancient work is in the clay, firing, and shapes.  He is primarily self-taught both as a potter and in his research of the Caddo ceramic past.  He has sought out the clay sources and each piece is coil built.  They are then slipped with a clay and mussel shell mixture and then burnished three times.  The result is a shiny surface with flecks of shell reflecting light.  Each piece is then pit-fired, which not only hardens the clay but also gives it fire clouds and color variations on the surface. After they are fired Chase etches into the surface of the clay to create intricate designs.  The delicate designs are almost a surprise, considering the hardness of the clay after the firing.