166. Black-on black ceramic vessel. Maria Martinez and Julian Martinez, Tewa, Puebloan, San Ildefonso Pueblo, New Mexico. c. mid-20th century CE. Blackware ceramics.

• Form
  • Black-on-black vessel
  • Highly polished surface
  • Contrasting shiny black and matte black finishes
  • Exceptional symmetry; walls of even thickness; surfaces free of imperfections
• Function
  • Comes from the thousand-year-old tradition of pottery making in the Southwest
  • Maria Martinez preferred making pots using a new technique that rendered a vessel lightweight, less hard, and not watertight, as traditional pots were; this kind of vessel reflected the market shift away from utilitarian vessels to decorative objects
• Technique
  • Used a mixture of clay and volcanic ash
  • The surface was scraped to a smooth finish with a gourd tool and then polished with a stone
  • Julian Martinez painted designs with a liquid clay that yielded a matte finish in contrast with the high shine of the pot itself
• Context
  • At the time of production, pueblos were in decline; modern life was replacing traditional life
  • Artist’s work sparked a revival of pueblo techniques
  • Maria Martinez, the potter, developed and invented new shapes beyond the traditional pueblo forms
  • Julian Martinez, the painter of the pots, revived the use of ancient mythic figures and designs on the pots
  • Reflects an influence of Art Deco designs popular at the tie