Rare Buff-on-red Pottery Plate signed Marie + Santana [SOLD]

Redware by Maria Martinez is among the rarest of all pottery she produced. Blackware was so popular with collectors that she rarely fired any redware. Early pieces like this one by Maria and Santana, produced shortly after Julian passed away, also are rare—maybe even rarer than pieces by Maria and Julian.

In 1977, an interview with Maria revealed that Santana learned to make pottery after she married Adam.  They lived with Maria for seven years and Santana made pottery at that time. Adam and Santana married in 1925 and, presumably, moved in with Maria at that time.  

After Julian passed away in 1943, Santana began to assist Maria with her pottery, primarily painting the designs as had Julian.  She continued doing so until Popovi Da started helping his mom around 1954. The pottery made by Maria and Santana during that period was signed “Marie + Santana.”  That would include this Buff-on-red plate which was probably made during the latter part of their collaboration, say in the early 1950s.

Condition: structurally in very good condition but there are some surface problems that are not distracting but do exist—minor scratches and surface abrasions.

Provenance: this Rare Buff-on-red Pottery Plate signed Marie + Santana is from the collection of clients from Oregon

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