San Ildefonso Pueblo Redware Avanyu Pottery Plate by Maria Martinez and Popovi Da [SOLD]

This gorgeous redware pottery plate was created by two legendary San Ildefonso pueblo artists: Maria Martinez and Popovi Da.  It is always exciting to see a redware piece from a member of Maria’s talented and influential family.  This one is particularly appealing for two notable reasons.

Firstly, and most significantly, the plate looks incredible.  It’s modest in size but has a powerful presence.  Its colors are beautiful, and its design—an avanyu, winding around the plate’s perimeter in a pleasantly rhythmic fashion—is a perfect execution of San Ildefonso imagery.  Its shape is extraordinarily graceful, and its condition is excellent.

Secondly, the plate stands out because of its rarity.  We don’t see many redware Maria pottery on the market today.  A redware plate made in collaboration with her son Popovi is an exciting find.  Most collectors of Maria’s works are aware that she built the vessels and her collaborators painted them, but it’s always worth mentioning because generational collaborations like this one seem very special.  This is truly a wonderful piece of pueblo pottery.

The plate is signed “Maria / Popovi” and dated “10-64.”

Maria Martinez (1887-1980) Poveka was an artist from San Ildefonso Pueblo who is generally regarded as one of the most influential Native American potters.  Martinez perfected the “Black-on-black” style of pottery, which would become San Ildefonso’s most widely collected art form.  Maria’s son Popovi Da (1922-1971) Red Fox was an important part of Maria’s influential family.  The two began working together in the mid-1950s, with Popovi painting and assisting in the firing process.

Condition: excellent condition, with one minor flaw having been professionally corrected.

Provenance: this San Ildefonso Pueblo Redware Avanyu Pottery Plate by Maria Martinez and Popovi Da is from a private collection

Recommended Reading: Maria by Richard L. Spivey

Relative Links: Pueblo Pottery, San Ildefonso Pueblo, Popovi Da, Santana and Adam Martinez, Julian Martinez