Chase “Kawinhut” Earles is one of the few Caddo potters working today.  The Caddo were a tribal group throughout the Oklahoma, Texas and Louisianna areas.  Chase draws inspiration from the ancient Caddo pieces and 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 the flecks of shell reflecting light.  Each piece is then pit fired which not only hardens the clay but gives them fire clouds and color variations on the surface. After they are fired Chase etches into the surface of the clay to create the intricate designs.  The delicate designs are almost a surprise considering the hardness of the clay after the firing.

Let me start out by saying that the photos don’t do justice to how really interesting this piece is in person.  It is coil built and VERY thin-walled.  The burnished surface with the mussel shells gives it a reflective quality.  The coloration is also dynamic on this piece.  It is a form for which Chase is maybe the most famous and one which is numerous museums. The Gar is a local fish that grows to huge lengths (up to 8 feet!).  The fins are hollow and note the sculptural aspect to the mouth and eyes. The surface is etched after firing with swirling water designs.  However, Chase has certainly left enough of the clay undesigned to give the piece a feel of the clay.  The last photo is one of Chase holding the effigy for scale.  It is signed on the bottom “Kawinhut”.  The name “Kawinhut” is important, as the last Caddo potter, Winhut, passed away in 1908 and Chase is continuing in her tradition of working with the clay and so his name is a masculine derivation of this family name.

“I am working to both preserve and expand the cultural identity of the Caddo people through the revival of their pottery.”  Chase Kawinhut Earles