It’s not often that you see “The Perfect” gunmetal piece by Maria Martinez.  This jar is one of those pieces.  The water jar has a fluted rim and a wide shoulder.  There is a slight indention for the shoulder of the jar. However, what makes it so “perfect” is the firing.  It is so perfectly gunmetal in firing that the surface has a silvery appearance. It even appears more gunmetal in low light! The jar is quite extraordinary as the gunmetal color is created from the heat of the firing.   It is signed on the bottom in the clay,  “Maria Poveka”.  This is a combination of her Anglo and Tewa names.  Her name, “Poveka” means “Water Lilly”.  The jar is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.

https://kinggalleries.com/maria-martinez-signatures/