Martinez, Maria – Red Carved Bowl with Mountain Designs (1939) Golden Gate Expo Tag
$ 4,400.00
This is a creative carved bowl by Maria Martinez and her husband, Julian. Maria would make the pottery and Julian would paint, or in this case, carve, the design. Much of the carved pottery they created was in the early 1930’s. It is “negative space” carving, as opposed to the linear carving later from Santa Clara. As well, there is definitely a visual difference between their carved pottery and that of others from the same period. This bowl has a mountain design carved into the shoulder. In the background area where the clay has been carved away the same red slip was applied but left matte, along with tan sections. For Maria and Julian, the carved pottery was never as popular as the painted ware and was also more time consuming. They made them for a very short period and there remain very few in existence. This bowl is from the 1939. It is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Marie + Julian”. It is in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. There is an entry ticket for the bowl to the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition. What an amazing piece of provenance for the bowl! It is definitely a unique piece of history by these exceptional artists!
In stock
This is an unusual carved bowl by Maria Martinez and her husband, Julian. Maria would make the pottery and Julian would paint, or in this case, carve, the design. Much of the carved pottery they created was in the early 1930’s. It is “negative space” carving, as opposed to the linear carving later from Santa Clara. As well, there is definitely a visual difference between their carved pottery and that of others from the same period. This bowl has a rain and cloud or thunder pattern carved into the clay. In the background area where the clay has been carved away the same red slip was applied but left matte. This bowl is from the 1930’s and it is signed on the bottom in the clay, “Marie + Julian”. It is in good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair.
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Martinez, Maria (1887-1980)
Maria Martinez (1887-1980)
Maria Martinez is undoubtedly one of the best-known and most influential Native potters of the 1900s. She became famous for her creative pottery and traveling to museums, World Fairs, and other events throughout her lifetime.
Maria learned to make pottery from her aunt Nicolasa Montoya. Around 1919-1920, Maria and her husband, Julian Martinez, created the "black-on-black" style of pottery. This unique process allowed matte designs to be painted on a stone-polished surface, a stone-polished piece fired black. At the time, this unique and distinctive style of pottery quickly became a success, and by 1922, it was made by nearly every potter at San Ildefonso Pueblo. It helped to change the economy of Pueblo as pottery became a successful career.
Maria worked with Julian until he died in 1943. She then worked with her daughter-in-law, Santana, who married her eldest son, Adam. Again, she made the pottery, and Santana painted the designs. In the 1950s, Maria made plain pieces and signed them with her Tewa name, "Pove-ka," which means "Water Lilly."
In 1956, Maria started working with her son, Popovi Da. Maria made the pottery, and Popovi painted the designs. These are often considered among the best of her career after her early work with Julian. Popovi Da worked to revive polychrome pottery, created the sienna (double-fired) coloration, and made redware vessels. Maria also made a few pieces with her grandson, Tony Da, whom she taught to make pottery. Tony was one of the first male potters at San Ildefonso and had an exceptional career in ceramics and paintings. He was the subject of a book, "The Art and Life of Tony Da" by Charles S. King and Richard Spivey.
Maria Martinez was the subject of several books during her career. Alice Marriot wrote the book "Maria: The Potter of San Ildefonso" in 1948. Richard Spivey also wrote a book on her entitled "Maria." Both were essential additions to the collector's knowledge of this vital potter. Maria was also the subject of numerous museum exhibitions. Her pottery can be found around the world in various permanent museum collections.
Today, Maria's descendants include Barbara Gonzales, Cavan Gonzales, and Marvin Martinez, who all continue to make traditional San Ildefonso pottery. In addition, Jarrod Da is known for his modernist paintings.
Martinez, Maria (1887-1980), Signature "Marie + Julian", 1925-1943
