Maria Martinez (1887 - 1980) - San Ildefonso Black Polished Jar, C. 1960
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:16943473 | Tribal Affiliation: San Ildefonso |
| Artisan: Maria Martinez | Origin: San Ildefonso |
Maria Martinez (1887-1980) - San Ildefonso Black Polished Jarc. 1960, 2.75" H x 3.5" W
Excellent condition; some very minor surface wear.
Signed "Maria Poveka".
Please reference item P91871-128-005.
Located 23 miles north of Santa Fe, New Mexico, San Ildefonso pueblo haslong been considered the epicenter for the pueblo pottery movement. This is the birthplace of Maria Martinez andthe newer form of San Ildefonso pottery. The famous black-on-black pottery, onc...e a token tourist piece, nowgraces the highest mantles and shelves of museums worldwide. A growing interestin Native American by anthropologists and archeologists of the SmithsonianInstitution led to the excavation of Avanyu black-on-black pottery andsubsequent attempt to emulate the pottery by Maria Martinez, which spawned a newform of firing pottery. Maria Martinez and her husband Julian did more thandiscover a method of firing pottery in a low oxygen environment to create ablackened, opulent pottery. Theytransformed a pueblo and created a movement that benefited Native Americans andspawned an art form worthy of worldwide recognition. Part of the uniqueness ofSan Ildefonso pottery is the clay that is used, which comes from theirreservation. Dried clay and volcanic ash are collected yearly from selectedlocations throughout the reservation, and later combined with water in smallbatches. The clay from each pueblo has its own mineral composition, allowingfor rich differences in texture and color. The watery clay slip that is used onthe black wares, for example, has a rich iron content that turns black whenfired in a particular way. After abatch of clay is mixed and has set for a few days, a "pancake" ofclay is formed and pressed into a puki, beginning the process of building apot. The puki is a bowl-shaped form that supports the bottom of the pot as itis being built. Most commonly, pots are formed with a coil technique, in whichlong snake-shaped coils are circled around the base of the pot and blendedtogether to create the walls of the vessel. Similar to most pueblo artists, regardless of pueblo, it was (and still is) a 'family affair' in the creatingof pottery. If only in the collecting ofmaterials, family members contribute at all stages. Maria's pottery has numerous signatures ofpeople who helped with the decoration. The making of San Ildefonso pottery is alaborious task requiring great skill. From the gathering of the clay, formingof the vessel, painting, and finally, the firing, the potter may have vested15-50 hours per vessel.
Medicine Man Gallery has been in the Antique Native American artbusiness for 25 years. We have one ofthe largest inventories of Antique Native American art for sale in the country, offering Navajo Rugs and Blankets, American Pueblo Pottery, Indian Baskets, Hopi Kachinas, Old Pawn Jewelry, Contemporary Native American Jewelry, andNative American Beadwork, as well as Ethnographic Art, Western Americana, Artof the West and Native American Art. Before purchasing please feel free to contact us with any questions youmay have about the condition of this item; we are happy to send additionalimages.
Excellent condition; some very minor surface wear.
Signed "Maria Poveka".
Please reference item P91871-128-005.
Located 23 miles north of Santa Fe, New Mexico, San Ildefonso pueblo haslong been considered the epicenter for the pueblo pottery movement. This is the birthplace of Maria Martinez andthe newer form of San Ildefonso pottery. The famous black-on-black pottery, onc...e a token tourist piece, nowgraces the highest mantles and shelves of museums worldwide. A growing interestin Native American by anthropologists and archeologists of the SmithsonianInstitution led to the excavation of Avanyu black-on-black pottery andsubsequent attempt to emulate the pottery by Maria Martinez, which spawned a newform of firing pottery. Maria Martinez and her husband Julian did more thandiscover a method of firing pottery in a low oxygen environment to create ablackened, opulent pottery. Theytransformed a pueblo and created a movement that benefited Native Americans andspawned an art form worthy of worldwide recognition. Part of the uniqueness ofSan Ildefonso pottery is the clay that is used, which comes from theirreservation. Dried clay and volcanic ash are collected yearly from selectedlocations throughout the reservation, and later combined with water in smallbatches. The clay from each pueblo has its own mineral composition, allowingfor rich differences in texture and color. The watery clay slip that is used onthe black wares, for example, has a rich iron content that turns black whenfired in a particular way. After abatch of clay is mixed and has set for a few days, a "pancake" ofclay is formed and pressed into a puki, beginning the process of building apot. The puki is a bowl-shaped form that supports the bottom of the pot as itis being built. Most commonly, pots are formed with a coil technique, in whichlong snake-shaped coils are circled around the base of the pot and blendedtogether to create the walls of the vessel. Similar to most pueblo artists, regardless of pueblo, it was (and still is) a 'family affair' in the creatingof pottery. If only in the collecting ofmaterials, family members contribute at all stages. Maria's pottery has numerous signatures ofpeople who helped with the decoration. The making of San Ildefonso pottery is alaborious task requiring great skill. From the gathering of the clay, formingof the vessel, painting, and finally, the firing, the potter may have vested15-50 hours per vessel.
Medicine Man Gallery has been in the Antique Native American artbusiness for 25 years. We have one ofthe largest inventories of Antique Native American art for sale in the country, offering Navajo Rugs and Blankets, American Pueblo Pottery, Indian Baskets, Hopi Kachinas, Old Pawn Jewelry, Contemporary Native American Jewelry, andNative American Beadwork, as well as Ethnographic Art, Western Americana, Artof the West and Native American Art. Before purchasing please feel free to contact us with any questions youmay have about the condition of this item; we are happy to send additionalimages.
