This gunmetal fired bowl is a striking 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 true gunmetal with very strong metallic appearance across most of the surface.  There is even a slight hint of “goldtone” color.  Interestingly, note the photo of the top of the bowl, and you can see from some of the coloration that it was fired upside down!   It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Maria / Popovi 669”.  The firing date is when the pottery was made, so this bowl was from June, 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!  The very last photo consists of two pieces by Maria and Popovi Da.  The one on the left is a black fired bowl and the other is this piece, which is gunmetal.  I thought it would be helpful to see the difference in coloration.