San Ildefonso Pueblo Feather Design Pottery Jar by Maria and Santana [SOLD]

This small black-on-black jar was made by San Ildefonso Pueblo artists Maria Martinez and her daughter-in-law Santana Martinez.  It is a sweet little jar with a lovely shape and a classic design.  Imagine a pueblo storage jar in miniature, and you have this vessel.  It leans just a hair to one side, a slight imperfection that is, in this case, charming.  The jar is highly polished, resulting in a “gunmetal” finish that can appear to be black, silver, or somewhere in between, depending on the light. 

The jar’s design element is a band of feather designs.  Its center sits just above the jar’s widest point, placing its upper edge at the jar’s shoulder.  The feathers are perfectly painted and identical in size, which is remarkable considering that they were painted freehand. The matte grey finish of the design band works wonderfully on top of the brilliant gunmetal finish. This is an incredibly appealing offering from Maria and Santana. 

The bottom of the jar is signed “Maria + Santana.”

Maria Martinez (1887-1980) of San Ildefonso Pueblo is probably the most famous of all pueblo potters. She and her husband, Julian, discovered in 1918 how to produce the now-famous black-on-black pottery and they spent the remainder of their careers perfecting and producing it for museums and collectors worldwide.  Martinez’ daughter-in-law Santana (1909-2002) painted designs on the famous pueblo matriarch’s pottery.  Though best known for her work with the famous family into which she married, Santana came from a long line of talented painters and potters. Her grandmother, Dominguita Pino Martinez, was a famous potter and her brother, Awa Tsireh, was a famous painter.

Condition: this San Ildefonso Pueblo Feather Design Pottery Jar by Maria and Santana is in excellent condition

Provenance: from the collection of a family from Ohio

Reference & Recommended Reading: The Legacy of Maria Poveka Martinez by Richard Spivey

Relative Links: Julian Martinez, Mimbres, Maria, pottery, Santana, Southwest Indian Pottery, San Ildefonso Pueblo, Contemporary Pottery