Ramita Martinez, Picuris Pueblo Potter

Ramita Martinez is a collectible pottery artist from Picuris Pueblo, New Mexico.  Picuris Pueblo is known for its unique micaceous clay.

"In the summer of 1958 the School of American Research, acting as agent for the Museum of New Mexico, funded a material culture survey at Taos and Picuris Pueblos. Documentary materials pertaining to the survey include photographs of Ramita Martinez and Lena Archuleta making pots, and illustrations of vessels collected from Lucita Martinez and Virginia Duran. One series of vessels, made by Ramita Martinez and decorated by her husband, Juan Jose Martinez, is indicative of the kind of experimentation that was taking place. A photograph of Juan Jose's tool kit indicates that he was using beer can openers and broken files, along with an assortment of bolts, nails, and screws, to produce tool-impressed designs on his wife's pottery." Anderson,1999:51

Reference: Anderson, Duane. All That Glitters: The Emergence of Native American Micaceous Art Pottery in Northern New Mexico, 1999

Relative Links: Southwest Indian Pottery, Picuris Pueblo, Contemporary Pottery, Taos Pueblo