Martina and Florentino Magnificent Polychrome Jar

The San Ildefonso Olla: A Testament to Pueblo Pottery Tradition

This remarkable polychrome olla stands as a testament to the artistic prowess of Martina Vigil and Florentino Montoya, renowned artisans from the San Ildefonso Pueblo. Martina, the creator of the jar, and Florentino, the painter, collaborated on this piece during an era when artist signatures were not yet commonplace. Despite the lack of a signature, their distinctive style is unmistakable and well-documented, allowing us to attribute this piece to them with certainty. This attribution is further reinforced by a knowledgeable friend of the gallery, a notable San Ildefonso potter deeply versed in the artistic history of his Pueblo.

The presence of a traditional San Ildefonso stone polished slip allows us to date this piece to the late 1800s. The pair later transitioned to using a rag-wiped Cochiti slip, which they introduced to their peers shortly before relocating to Cochiti in 1905. Although the olla shows little signs of wear, its age is palpable and visible.

The exterior of the olla is encircled by two design bands. The upper band features a traditional pattern around the neck, with pairs of parallel diagonal forms repeating in red and black. Thick black lines frame this band, separating it from the lower design band. In the lower band, which occupies the majority of the olla's exterior, Florentino ventured beyond traditional designs into a more expressive realm. Triangular forms, alternating in red and black, hang down from the framing lines, each containing black plant designs. Inverted rain cloud patterns fill the blank spaces between these forms. Subtle variations within certain repetitions of this pattern and vertical lines linking the patterns to larger curved elements below create a dynamic and cohesive image. The bold pigments enhance the fluidity and expressiveness of the design. Martina's vessel shape, more akin to utilitarian wares of the period than to her more distinctive forms, complements the elegance of the design. This olla is a truly exceptional exemplar of historic San Ildefonso polychrome pottery.

Martina Vigil (1856-1916) and Florentino Montoya (1858-1918) were a married couple from San Ildefonso Pueblo. As Jonathan Batkin has documented, there were several outstanding potters at San Ildefonso Pueblo during the late 1800s and early 1900s whose work can accurately be associated with their names. Following the publication of Batkin's studies, it has become easier today to identify late 19th and early 20th century pottery to artists with some degree of accuracy, or so we hope. Due to their unique style, Martina and Florentino are among those artists whose works can be accurately identified. Martina and Florentino were cited as a major influence by Maria Martinez. As of 1999, one of their works held the record for the highest price paid for a single pot in the Western Hemisphere.

Condition: excellent, with a few minor abrasions and chips. The jar has been examined under a blacklight and shows no signs of restoration or repair.

Provenance: this Martina and Florentino Magnificent Polychrome Jar is from a private collection

References:

- Pottery of the Pueblos of New Mexico 1700-1940 by Jonathan Batkin

- The Legacy of Maria Poveka Martinez by Richard Spivey

- Pueblo Indian Pottery: 750 Artist Biographies by Gregory Schaaf

TAGS: Southwest Indian Pottery, San Ildefonso Pueblo, Historic Pottery, Martina Vigil and Florentino Montoya