Early Maria/Julian Martinez Blackware 1920s & Drysdale Print of Maria NO RESERVE

Description

This NO RESERVE auction features a vintage small blackware pottery bowl believed to be from the San Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico and dating to the late 1920s. Based on partial signatures, this small bowl (approximately 5 inches wide and 3 inches tall) is attributed to Maria Martinez and her husband Julian Martinez who together developed the hugely significant black-on-black pottery style for which they gained worldwide acclaim.  Also included with the pottery is a hard-to-find print of Maria by Vera Louise Drysdale, a well-known artist who specialized in works depicting Native Americans from many different tribes.  Drysdale’s depiction of Maria shows her in her later years with one of her famous blackware pieces.  By that time Maria had spent a lifetime developing, perfecting, and continually improving the blackware pottery for which she is best known.
Maria Poveka Martinez was from the Tewa tribe, San Ildefonso Pueblo in New Mexico.
She was married to Julian Martinez and in the early 1900s they began to experiment with blackware pottery, trying to recreate the type that the Tewas had made hundreds of years in the past.
It had been a lost art.
They eventually perfected the process and worked together to produce their distinctive pottery, with Maria making the pottery and Julian painting it.
Their early pieces between 1918 and 1923 were generally unsigned.
From 1923 to 1925, Maria began signing her pieces “Marie” because that was considered a more marketable name.
She began adding Julian’s name circa 1925, and both names were included on each pot until 1943 when Julian died.
After Julian died, Maria continued to produce her quality pieces with other family members until her death in 1980.
Her distinctive pottery is housed in museums around the world.
Through this auction you can obtain an affordable piece for your own enjoyment.
Parts of both names are visible on the bottom in the style and manner that were being used by Maria and Julian.  This pot has a geometric slip design and would have been made sometime between 1925 and 1943.
This pot likely dates to the earlier part of that time frame as it does have considerable wear on the bottom consistent with its age.
There is some whitish corrosion on the interior and there is some sticky residue on the piece, likely from previous auction stickers.
I have not taken any steps to clean or conserve this piece in anyway.
I feel it is best left in its “as found” condition, but the new owner may take a different approach.
Prior ownership information is not available.
The accompanying Drysdale print likely dates from the 1970s which is when the artist moved to New Mexico and became interested in portraying various Native Americans in her art.
Vera Drysdale was born in and spent her early childhood in China.
She was the daughter of Kansas missionaries and her artistic career began with Hallmark.
Her paintings and drawings have sold through some of the finest galleries and she has won many awards for her work.
This small print of “Maria Poveka Martinez, Potter of San Ildefonso Pueblo” was produced by Tewa Enterprises, Santa Fe, NM.
It is framed in an 11 by 11.5 inch oak frame.
There is some damage to the backing of the frame, as the paper is torn on several sides.
I am selling this print with the blackware pot because I believe it enhances the story of Maria and Julian’s famous black-on-black pottery.  In my opinion, the two items need to be displayed together.
Please review all accompanying photos as they are considered part of the description.
Selling “as-is” with FREE SHIPPING in U.S.
THERE IS NO RESERVE ON THESE ITEMS.
Thank you for your interest!