This is a classic jar by Maria Martinez and her son, Popovi Da.  Maria made and polished the jar while it was painted by her son, Popovi Da  (1923-1971). The bowl has a rounded shoulder and sloping sides.  It is very highly polished.  The piece has a classic water serpent (avanyu) painted around the shoulder.  Popovi Da’s painting is distinctive with the shape of the horn and the undulation of the back of the avanyu.  The piece was fired to a deep black coloration.  The jar is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Maria Popovi“. The signature indicates that it was made between 1956 and 1959 before Popovi Da began to put a firing date on their pottery.  The piece is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.

Maria Martinez Signatures