Martinez, Maxamiliana “Anna” – Gunmetal Fired Box with Cloud Designs (1920s)

3.75" long x 2.75"w x 4"h

$ 1,000.00

This is a striking box by Maximiliana “Anna” Martinez, who was a sister of Maria Martinez.   It is fully polished on all four sides. The long sides have a cloud and rain design while the short sides have wind and butterfly patterns.  The box was fired to a silvery gunmetal coloration.  The box is signed “Anna’ in the clay on the bottom.  The box is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair. The lid was cracked on one edge and repaired.  The box has an interesting provenance as I purchased it from Dick Howard in the early 2000s.  It was in perfect condition and I’m the one that broke the lid. However, the firing and designs are so exceptional, that even with the repaired crack on the lid, it remains an important piece of her pottery.  It also reinforces the inherent fragility of this art form in clay.

Why Boxes?

There has long been a fascination with boxes, that is to say, square or rectangular clay vessels with flat, clay lids.  At the Pueblos of New Mexico, there is a historic precedent for these square-shaped pieces that were typically used for holding corn meal for Pueblo dances.  These boxes, however, typically did not have lids, and more likely, carved or raised ends.

In the 1920s there was a revival of boxes at San Ildefonso at the same time as the “new” black-on-black style of pottery.  The boxes had flat sides, but later, some were cylindrical.  They were painted on each side and they had a flat lid with a handle. The style of the handle, and its direction, were often indicative of the potter.  While some boxes may still have been made for cornmeal, most were made to hold cigarettes, small cigars, or curious, for the newly arriving tourist trade.  The potters of San Ildefonso in the 1920s were each adept at making these pieces.

Boxes are difficult to make and crack in drying and firing.  The same with the flat lids.  Not surprisingly, over the past 100 years, the boxes have not fared well as they are often cracked or chipped.  The lids are often missing or damaged.  They are not only one of the most difficult and sought-after forms, but also one that is the least resilient to time.