Polychrome Jar by Maria and Crescencio Martinez [SOLD]

This polychrome jar is a rare and beautiful example of Maria and Crescencio Martinez' collaborative work. To create pieces like this one, Maria would create the vessel and Crescencio would apply the designs. These pieces recall earlier functional polychrome wares, but they're easily distinguishable to those who've studied San Ildefonso pottery. Maria and Crescencio's pieces are among the most historically significant pueblo pots. More importantly, though, they are among the most beautiful. This particular piece is one of the strongest and most impactful examples we've seen from the duo.

The shape of this vessel is the attribute that is most definitively linked to Maria and Crescencio. It's low and wide, with sharp, dramatic curves and a rim that flares outward. The base measures less than three inches, and the jar's widest point measures almost a foot. The flared rim lands right between the two, at once creating visual balance and enhancing the impact of the vessel. Maria's work here is, as always, excellent.

Crescencio's design work is similarly attractive. Two design bands appear, circling the jar above a red base with a single line in a darker red tone. Each section occupies about a third of the jar's surface. The upper design band circles the neck, using a pattern in which red dots hang down from curved triangular forms. The pattern is inverted and offset on the lower section of the band, creating a design that is both lively and elegant. The second design band, which circles the jar's shoulder and midbody, uses a pattern that echoes the one above but stretches the red forms out into ovals. Cream slip spirals emerge from the ends of the black triangular forms, cutting circular forms out of the red ovals. The pattern repeats around the jar, with each element flowing smoothly into the next.

Maria Montoya Poveka Martinez (1887-1980) Pond Lily of San Ildefonso Pueblo is probably the most famous of all pueblo potters. She and her husband, Julian, discovered in 1918 how to produce the now-famous black-on-black pottery and they spent the remainder of their careers perfecting and producing it for museums and collectors worldwide. Crescencio Martinez (Táe, 1879-1918) was married to Maximiliana Montoya Martinez (1885-1955) or Anna—sister to Maria Martinez. Maria stated that Anna would assist her when the men were out in the fields. Crescencio painted some of Anna's pottery and it is known that he, too, painted designs on some of Maria's pottery before Julian started assisting Maria. Crescencio was a painter not only of pottery but also of works on paper, for which he is praised widely as an influential figure. Crescencio died in 1918 at age 39, from a New Mexico flu epidemic.

Condition: excellent condition, blacklight examination reveals no restoration or repair

Provenance: this Polychrome Jar by Maria and Crescencio Martinez is from a private collection

Recommended Reading: The Legacy of Maria Poveka Martinez by Richard L. Spivey

TAGS: Crescencio Martinez, Pueblo Pottery, San Ildefonso Pueblo, Popovi Da, Santana and Adam Martinez, Julian Martinez, Maria Martinez