This gunmetal fired bowl is a classic piece by Maria Martinez and her son, Popovi Da. Maria made and polished the bowl and it was fired by her son, Popovi Da  (1923-1971). Popovi focused on both the painted surfaces of the pottery as well as the firings.  This bowl is one of Maria’s classic shapes with her low shoulder and sloping sides. The design is a very tightly painted rain and lightning pattern which encircles the piece. The openness of the design elements reveals the gunmetal coloration from the firing.  The piece is about three-quarters gunmetal with one section that is a darker black.  However, the entire bowl is very highly polished with a “mirror-like” surface. The piece is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Maria / Popovi 569”.  The firing date is when the pottery was made, so this bowl was from May 1969. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.   Great gunmetal fired pieces by Maria and Popovi with such high polished surface are always stunning and a great addition to any collection!

Maria Martinez Signatures

This gunmetal fired bowl is a classic piece by Maria Martinez and her son, Popovi Da. Maria made and polished the bowl and it was fired by her son, Popovi Da  (1923-1971). Popovi focused on both the painted surfaces of the pottery as well as the firings.  This bowl is a gunmetal coloration with a metallic appearance across much of the surface.  It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Maria / Popovi 1268”.  The firing date is when the pottery was made, so this bowl was from Dec, 1969. It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.   Great gunmetal fired pieces by Maria and Popovi with such high polished surface are always stunning and a great addition to any collection!

Maria Martinez Signatures

This is a rounded neck bowl by Maria Martinez and her son, Popovi Da.  Maria made and polished the bowl while it was painted by her son, Popovi Da  (1923-1971). The bowl is highly polished and has the traditional eagle feather pattern painted in matte around the shoulder.  Typical of the work of Popovi Da, the feathers are perfectly painted with each feather nearly the same width as the one next to it. It is remarkable as Popovi painted them free-hand and each feather would be painted over several times. The shape of this bowl is one of Maria’s classics, as the round shoulder accentuated the shape of the feathers.  The firing is a very highly polished black with a mirror-like shine.  The bowl is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Maria Popovi 665“. The signature indicates that it was made around in June 1965.  The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

To learn more about Maria’s signatures, click here.

This is a classic black plate by Maria Martinez and her son, Popovi Da. Maria made and polished the plate while it was painted by her son, Popovi Da  (1923-1971). The plate is highly polished and is one of his few pieces which has an animal motif.  This plate has a fish as the central design.  Fish were among the most common animal designs used by Popovi on his plates.  Popovi Da was an accomplished painter in the San Ildefonso two-dimensional style and this plate captures that style of his art.  The fish is beautifully painted to capture a sense of motion and fill the entire space.  It was only from 1956-9  that Popovi painted these pieces, which are among the most sought after and best of his career!   It is  signed on the back in the clay, “Maria Popovi“. The signature indicates that it was made around 1956-9.   The plate is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

To learn more about Maria’s signatures, click here.

This is a variation on the classic eagle feather design plate by Maria Martinez and her son, Popovi Da. Maria made and polished the plate while it was painted by her son, Popovi Da  (1923-1971). The plate is highly polished with a deep black shine.  The design has the eagle feathers and the bird wings.  The plate is signed on the back in the clay, “Maria Popovi“. The signature indicates that it was an early piece of their pottery from 1956-9).  The plate is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. I included photos of the plate turned in different directions to show how the shine appears on the piece.

To learn more about Maria’s signatures, click here.