Maria Poveka Martinez

1887Born San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico

1980Died San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico

PRIMARY WORK EXPERIENCE

ca 1910 to 1980 Pueblo potter

BIOGRAPHY

Maria Martinez learned pottery techniques by watching her aunt Nicolasa Pena make pots. She is known for black on black highly burnished traditional Native American pots that were decorated by her husband, Julian and, after his death, other family members.

Her husband, Julian, worked on an excavation in 1908 led by Edgar Lee Hewett, a professor of archaeology and the director of the Laboratory of Anthropology in Santa Fe. Julian brought shards of black pottery to Maria, who was eager to reproduce the finish. In 1918, after much experimentation to successfully recreate black on black pottery, Maria discovered that smothering the fire surrounding the pottery during the firing process caused the smoke to be trapped, and, in turn, the carbon in the smoke caused the pottery to turn to a black ash color. Maria used this discovery to create the black on black pottery for which she is so well known.

Maria nearly always collaborated; first with Julian, who learned to decorate the pots she made, which he did until his death, after which other family members took over his role.