Immaculately Polished Black Bowl by Maria Martinez, signed Maria Poveka

This highly burnished black bowl by Maria Martinez (1884-1980) of San Ildefonso Pueblo is renowned for its flawless craftsmanship. Measuring 3 inches deep and nearly 10 inches in diameter, the bowl features a subtle hexagonal burnishing pattern on its interior, giving it a smooth, glass-like surface and a consistent dark black color.

This particular piece is signed Maria Poveka, a signature she used for her undecorated wares, predominantly from 1956-1959. Maria often made small pieces of pottery without the assistance of her husband, her son, or her daughter-in-law. These are always plain, polished, undecorated pieces and are usually quite spectacular and affordable. They are signed Maria Poveka. The signature Maria Poveka on undecorated blackware, according to Richard Spivey, was a signature started in 1956 and abandoned in the mid-1960s, so it lasted only a decade. However, in 1959, Popovi Da started adding a date to the pottery signatures, even those signed Maria Poveka. That fact would shorten the date of undated Maria Poveka pottery to the 1956-1959 dates.

The bowl exemplifies the beauty of Martinez's plain, polished, and undecorated pottery—where form and finish speak for themselves without the need for added decoration. Made by Maria alone, with her sons Popovi or Adam assisting in the firing, this bowl dates to around 1960 and remains in excellent condition, showcasing the mastery of one of the most celebrated Pueblo potters.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Immaculately Polished Black Bowl by Maria Martinez, signed Maria Poveka is from the collection of an Adobe Gallery client

Reference: The Legacy of Maria Poveka Martinez by Richard L. Spivey.

TAGS: Pueblo Pottery, San Ildefonso Pueblo, Popovi Da, Santana and Adam Martinez, Julian Martinez, Maria Martinez, San Ildefonso Pueblo Potter