San Ildefonso Black-on-Black Terrace Rim Bowl signed Marie [SOLD]

Maria and Julian Martinez are perhaps the best-known names in Southwest Indian Pottery.  It was because of their enthusiasm for making pottery that it is acknowledged that the pottery revival in New Mexico pueblos, starting in the early 1900s, is their legacy.  Their success inspired other San Ildefonso potters and, eventually, inspired potters at other New Mexico pueblos.

Maria and Julian were exposed to pottery being excavated on the Pajarito Plateau in 1907 and excitedly undertook to recreate the ancestral pottery, in their own way.  They were inspired by the designs from the ancestral sherds and used them in their newly-made Polychrome pottery.

In 1912, they began making plain polished Black pottery.  Black ware existed at all the Tewa villages at the time, but Maria and Julian refined the form and achieved a more highly polished finish that appealed to buyers.  It was from this endeavor that their reputation was established. It was also at this time that Julian began painting designs on Maria’s vessels with a yucca brush and clay slip.

It has been established that “it was in 1923 that Maria began signing her pottery with the signature ‘Marie.’  The name ‘Marie’ was selected instead of ‘Maria’ because it was suggested that it would be more familiar to the non-Indian public.  The ‘Marie & Julian’ signature first appeared about 1925.” Spivey 2003:163  

This terrace rim bowl is signed only with the name “Marie.”  It was decorated by Julian at the time when his name was not added to the vessels.  If the published information is correct, then the Marie signature on this bowl would indicate that it was made in the 1923-1925 period.

The design on the bowl is a combination of stacked rain clouds with dots and vertical triangles in groups of five. The terraces on the rim of the bowl flare outward slightly, adding a degree of elegance to the bowl.  The burnishing on the interior and exterior is excellent. The name Marie is imbedded into the clay of the underside, an indication that the name was put in place while the clay was still damp.

Condition Report: excellent condition.  The interior has a beautiful high burnish and is flawless.  The exterior has a few scratches but nothing of significance.

Provenance: this San Ildefonso Black-on-Black Terrace Rim Bowl signed Marie is from a family in Colorado

Reference: Spivey, Richard L. The Legacy of Maria Poveka Martinez, 2003

Maria Martinez Photo Source: our item # C3512.29 - Adobe Gallery.