Bowl

This important, early experimental bowl reflects a crucial moment in the development of the techniques needed to make black-on-black pottery. Already an established potter within her family and community, Maria was encouraged in the early twentieth century by Edgar Lee Hewett and Kenneth Chapman of the Museum of New Mexico to investigate a modern interpretation of prehistoric black pottery. Here, Julian painted the Avanyu (water serpent) design on the bowl, and then Maria carefully polished around the painted design prior to firing. This made polishing a slow and delecate task, and even then the matte-black painted design needed to be touched up after polishing.

Later Maria and Julian realized that it was more efficient to reverse the process, by polishing the entire vessel first and then painting out the images that were meant to appear matte in the final product. Oxygen deprivation during firing transformed this color of the iron-rich clay to black. This revised method became the regular practice for Maria and other San Ildefonso potters and is now the pueblo's signature style.