San Ildefonso Pueblo Black-on-black Large Jar by Maria and Popovi Da [SOLD]

Maria Martinez and her son Popovi Da collaborated on pottery production from 1956-1970. He passed away in 1971 and Maria in1980. Popovi at first assisted his mother with gathering and working the clay—the labor intensive portion of the production of pottery. Later, she encouraged him to paint and, over time, he became very proficient at it. By 1956, he was producing outstanding designs on Maria’s pottery.

Popovi was a perfectionist and could not settle for producing anything less than what he considered perfect. He expressed that he wished he had more time to make more pottery, but his duties as a husband, father, business man, and Pueblo leader allowed only enough time for him to assist his mother. His wife once said that Popovi planned to concentrate on making pottery by himself once his mother was gone but would assist her as long as she lived, but Maria outlived Popovi so we will never know just how creative he could have been had he lived.

Popovi was a genius and a perfectionist and, with Maria, produced some of the finest blackware pottery ever made. The decade he worked with his mom was the pinnacle of San Ildefonso black-on-black pottery. The burnishing was the best, the designs were the best and the overall quality was unequalled.

This large jar is evidence of the beautiful collaboration of mother and son. It could not be more beautiful or better made. According to Richard Spivey, Popovi started helping Maria in 1956 and started adding a date to their pottery in 1959. This jar is signed but not dated, so the date of manufacture is between 1956 and 1959.