June Issue 2001
USC's McKissick Museum Features Catawba Pottery Exhibit in Columbia, SC
To many South Carolinians, Native American pottery means Cherokee pottery. But there is another Indian pottery tradition - the lesser known Catawba pottery - that is equally artistic and historically significant.
On June 3, the University of South Carolina's McKissick Museum, in Columbia, SC, will open the exhibit, Catawba Clay: Pottery of the Catawba Nation. It will feature more than 100 richly colored and graceful Catawba pottery forms, some dating back to the 16th century, accompanied by text panels that illuminate the history and culture of the Catawba people. The exhibit, organized by the North Carolina Pottery Center, will remain on exhibit through Jan. 27, 2002.
In the 16th century, the Catawba Nation controlled roughly 55,000 square miles, stretching across most of SC and eastern NC and extending into lower VA. Intertribal warfare combined with exposure to European disease and alcohol and the influx of settlers led to the decline of the Catawba. By 1840, the nation was reduced to one square mile east of Rock Hill.
Today, its membership totals 2,500, and Catawba pottery has emerged not only as a source of income, but, more importantly, as a defining cultural element. Nearly 75 Catawba Indians make pottery today, with help from more than 150 tribal members who dig clay, help with finishing and tend to fires.
The Catawba pottery tradition dates back to 2,400 B.C. and is older than the practice of the famed Pueblo potters of the Southwest. Catawba potters use the same ancient techniques. Vessels are made from mixing two parts pipe clay to one part pan clay. Rather than using a wheel, potters build their pots with rolls or coils and bits of clay. The object is scraped with a knife and given a lustrous sheen with special rubbing rocks. No kiln is used. Instead, pots are burned on an open fire. This process is central to Catawba pottery.
Catawba pottery forms range in size and shape. The cooking pot, the oldest Catawba shape, is altered to create other forms, including a gypsy pot, a pitcher or bowl. The snake pot features a serpent winding along the side and top of the pot. The serpent represents the revered black snake of the region and ancient symbol of the Catawba War Captain's insignia. The peace pipe, a difficult vessel to create, consists of seven parts attached to a small bowl. Historically and religiously significant, it is an important vessel in the potter's repertoire. Other recognized forms, such as cupid jugs and wedding vases, are modern innovations, influenced by European and other Native American cultures. The 1,000-year-old tradition of pottery miniatures, standing only one to four inches, has experienced a revival in recent years.
For further information check our SC Institutional
Gallery listings or call the museum at 803/777-7251 or visit theie
web site at (http://www.cla.sc.edu/MCKS).
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