Undecorated Black Burnished Small Dish signed Maria Poveka [SOLD]

Some of the most beautiful pottery vessels made by Maria are the plain, polished and undecorated bowls and jars. Their beauty is in the shape and burnish, and decoration is unnecessary. Additionally, she made small plates or dishes such as this one, which is a superb example of San Ildefonso blackware.

Without some of the visual excess of the painted works, these simple blackwares can be truly appreciated from a more minimal, formalist stance. In this late work, proportion, scale, and excellence of polish are key to their appreciation.

This piece was made in the 1960s and is in excellent original condition. It is signed Maria Poveka. It is a companion piece to Item #C2817R. Both pieces came to us from the same collection, and both pieces were purchased from Maria in the 1960s. They make a wonderful pair for someone interested in having two.

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.