Black-on-black Open Jar signed Popovi 564 [SOLD]

Popovi Da (1922-1971) Red Fox was a true renaissance man throughout his entire life.  He was the son of a famous pueblo couple but made his own way in life and did not ride on their popularity or fame.  He had attended the San Ildefonso Pueblo day school until the fifth grade and then went to the Santa Fe Indian School as a boarding student.  He studied art under Dorothy Dunn and Geronima Montoya at The Studio.

In 1935, at the age of 13, Popovi was one of a group selected by Olive Rush to paint murals at the new Maisel’s Trading Post in Albuquerque, a good indication of his already developed artistic talents.  He had been painting before he even attended elementary school.

At age 22, Popovi’s adult life began when he was inducted into the Army.  Fortunately for him, he was assigned to Los Alamos, just miles from his pueblo, where he worked on the Manhattan Project.  After the war, Popovi returned to the pueblo and it was then that he first started helping his mother with her pottery needs.  His dad had died in 1943 and Maria needed the help of her sons, Adam and Popovi.  Adam was the primary assistant, but Popovi helped when Adam was not available.

Popovi eventually began decorating Maria’s pottery for her and occasionally making pottery on his own.  According to Richard Spivey, the first piece of pottery signed simply “Popovi” appeared in 1962.  Few such pieces were made and they are considered rare and collectible. 

This Black-on-black jar is dated 1964, only two years after the first Popovi pottery attempt.  What a giant leap from beginning to the results on this jar.  It is beautifully proportioned and painted with precision.  Popovi inscribed his name on the lower edge of the base of the jar, not on the underside, a technique that has preserved the signature.

Condition: absolutely excellent original condition with exception of some minor shelf wear on underside

Provenance: from a gentleman in Arizona

Reference and Recommended Reading: The Legacy of Maria Poveka Martinez by Richard L. Spivey, 2003