Black-on-Black Jar
Maria Martínez Native American, San Ildefonso Pueblo
Julián Martínez San Ildefonso
Not on view
Maria Martínez and her husband Julián are among the most widely acclaimed ceramic artists of the twentieth century. Through extensive experimentation, they created a process for making black-on-black pottery. This jar, produced in the trial stages, features a matte surface and a polished image of Avanyu, a Tewa deity and guardian of water. Later jars featured varied combinations of polished and matte backgrounds and imagery. Maria shaped the vessels and Julián painted the designs until his death in 1943.
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