Maria and Julian Martinez

Maria Montoya Martinez (1887 – July 20, 1980) was a renowned pottery artist from San Ildefonso Pueblo, famous for creating a distinctive style of pottery that gained international recognition. Born Maria Antonia Montoya, she worked closely with her husband, Julian, and other family members to study traditional Pueblo pottery techniques and design. Together, they sought to create pieces that honored the Pueblo people’s long-standing legacy of fine craftsmanship and art.

Maria and Julian experimented with various clays, tempering agents, and firing methods, but they were not achieving the desired results. It was through Serafina Tafoya of Santa Clara Pueblo, who still practiced ancient pottery-making techniques, that they learned a critical method: smothering the fire at a specific point during firing to create a vacuum-induced oxygen reduction process. This technique trapped smoke and effectively carbonized the surface of the pots, turning them black. Maria also learned polishing and burnishing methods from Serafina.

In 1913, Maria presented a few of her black pots to Edgar Lee Hewett, an archaeologist, but she was dissatisfied with their quality and stored the rest away. Years later, when Hewett brought guests to her home and they showed particular interest in the black pots, Maria decided to refine her process. Julian, in turn, spent years perfecting a technique for decorating the pots, which involved burnishing the surface before adding a matte background. Together, Maria’s expertise in creating the pottery and Julian’s skill in decorating it led to her becoming world-famous and credited with reviving Pueblo pottery as an art form. Throughout her life, Maria also dedicated herself to teaching others how to create pottery in her distinctive style.