Shaped By Her Hands: Potter Maria Martinez
by Anna Harber Freeman and Barbara Gonzales art by Aphelandra
“The Great Spirit gave me (hands) that work...but not for myself, but for all my Tewa people.”
| Maria Povika Martinez created distinctive pottery that is highly prized by collectors. Her great granddaughter Barbara Gonzales and art educator Anna Harbor Freeman collaborated to tell her story with a picture book for young readers. Maria lived in San Idlefonso Pueblo near Santa Fe, New Mexico where clay was an abundant resource. As a girl, she was fascinated with the process of creating pottery. When her early efforts were not successful, she turned to ko-kōo Nicolasa to teach her. Her aunt used Tewa traditional methods: combining clay with water and volcanic ash, rolling the mixture into coils, then building the pot’s walls and firing the vessels for hours in a pottery fire. Each step was accompanied by special prayers. While still a young woman, Maria married and became a mother but never gave up her work as a potter. |  |
Her earthenware came to the attention of an archaeologist who presented her with a fragment of black pottery. Maria was intrigued. She and her husband Julian experimented and discovered a process for making shiny black pots. Blackware fashioned by Maria and her family became a valuable collector's item.
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In addition to describing pottery making, the narrative emphasizes culture, traditions, and religious practices of the Tewa. The authors use several Native terms which can be understood by using the illustrations and context clues for support. Aphelandra’s color palette of deep reds blending into rich golds and rising to a turquoise sky serves as a backdrop for Blackware. It is interesting to note that over time Maria's simple style of dress remains constant.
Shaped By Her Hands is a moving tribute to a great grandmother and her Native traditions. Excellent introduction to the technique of creating ceramics.
Back matter includes additional information on Maria Povika Martinez, Tewa People, San Idlefonso Pueblo, Authors Notes, and Selected Resources.
 | | Blackware began as a joint enterprise for Maria and Julian. He is credited with painting many of the pot’s intricate designs. Currently, six generations of Maria and Julian’s descendants continue her legacy. |
| Maria's Blackware is considered fine art. Her signed pieces are worth thousands. She was awarded several honorary degrees and invited to the White House. She and her husband demonstrated pottery making in New York, Chicago, and San Francisco. Her work can be viewed online. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SkUGm87DE0k http://indianartsandculture.org/exhibits/maria/index.html https://kinggalleries.com/brand/martinez-maria/ | |
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: April 1, 2021 Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company ISBN: 978-0807575994
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