11.05.21 Maria Martinez

Maria Martinez

By Rebekah Powers | November 2021

Any discussion or study of Pueblo Pottery will inevitably lead to one name: Maria Martinez. Collectors claim that they have “a Maria” and her fine black on black pieces are legend. If you have ever dreamed that you might add one of Maria’s pieces to your collection, now you have that opportunity.

Chimayo Trading is showing several elegant black pieces from the famous potter. Born into the San Ildefonso Pueblo, (located between Santa Fe and the city of Los Alamos) Maria learned the traditions of her Pueblo by watching members of her family as they worked with clay, a Native American tradition. At age 11, she began making her own work, and experimented with firing techniques, becoming better with each bowl or plate or pot that she made. Later, she would be challenged to discover the secret of the fine black pottery of the past.

We associate her name, Maria Martinez with the most collectible pieces of historic pottery, but she rarely worked alone. Born Marie Montoya in the 1880s, (the exact year remains a mystery), she was given the Indian name “Poveka” which translates from Tewa as “Pond Lily”.

Her earliest lessons in clay came from her aunt and she learned alongside 3 of her 4 sisters who also became potters. By 1900 she was making pottery for sale and trade professionally. Her life would change, her work would evolve, and the history of southwestern art would be forever altered when Pond Lily met Julian Martinez, whose Tewa name: “Pocaro” translated into “Water in the Lake”.

It was meant to be. Their marriage and 40 year partnership combined her consistently fine surfaces and attention to detail with Julian’s decorative design sense and marketing know how. Indeed, her work was the beautiful flower, her forms beautifully simple and profoundly reflective, and Julian was the water in the pond that supported and reflected her brilliance. He died in 1943 but the results of their collaboration would inform the work of the Martinez family tradition for 100 years. 

It was the third son of Maria and Julian, Popovi Da who stepped in to continue the family tradition with Maria. He had studied pottery and painting at a young age attending art school in Santa Fe. When he became skilled enough, he began embellishing Maria’s pottery in the same way his father had done. It was Popovi who experimented with sienna and black ware, inlaid turquoise and sgraffito. A governor of the San Ildefonso Pueblo, Popovi was also chairman of the All Pueblo council.

Their family dynasty extended to include Santana Raybal Martinez, who had married Maria’s eldest son, Adam. She worked alongside Maria, decorating the pots, plates and bowls that she shaped. It was her highly polished gunmetal surfaces that became a hallmark of their pottery in the 1950s and 1960s.

Signatures help date the work. The oldest pieces by Maria and Julian are unsigned, 1918-1923. Once she began to gain recognition, 1923-1925 she signed the work, “Marie”. After that, “Marie + Julian” became the official signature until his death in 1943. When her family began helping with collecting clay, firing and surface decoration, the new signature became “Marie + Santana” and for 30 years she also signed “Marie”. Once her son, Popovi Da began working alongside her, she referred to herself as Maria and in 1953 they co-signed as “Maria + Poveka” and “ Maria/Popovi”.

For over 80 years, with the help and support of her family and Pueblo, Maria Martinez produced fine studio work as sophisticated and collectible as anywhere in the world. Her rare collectible pieces are now on display and available to add to or start your own collection.

These rare collectible pieces are now on display and available to add to or start your own collection.

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Contact us directly to discuss and evaluate your collection. If you’re an artist, contact us about the possibility of selling your art on consignment or direct wholesale purchase.

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