San Ildefonso Pueblo blackware jar by Maria Martinez, signed Maria Poveka. This jar has a highly polished deep black finish. There are some very minor surface abrasions. Otherwise, it is in outstanding condition.

COMMENTS: Some experts have contended that smothering pottery during the firing process creates a carbon smoke that penetrates the pottery, turning it black. Even though several books describing black pueblo pottery attribute the color change to carbon, the reduction of iron oxide is the correct mechanism. Ceramicists, describing ancient styles of Old World pottery, state that iron impurities in clay form red oxide at red heat, but if air is lacking during firing, iron impurities in clay form black magnetite.

Item Provenance:
This item was presented in the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center's special exhibit Timeless Beauty in Albuquerque, New Mexico, January-August 2008. This exhibition celebrated the achievements and impact made by some of the most renowned Pueblo women artists on the preservation, exposure, and development of the indigenous and contemporary art forms of Pueblo people. Curated by the IPCC in collaboration with Santa Fe-based Adobe Gallery and the School for Advanced Research, Timeless Beauty showcased a collaborative collection of artwork created by these influential women.