Innovations

Black-on-black pottery was only one of the many innovations Maria brought to the art of pottery. Another innovation, encouraged by non-Pueblo people, was the addition of signatures to her work. This polychrome jar is thought to be one of the first pieces Maria signed. She signed it with her Tewa name “Poh’ve’ha,” Tewa for Water Lily. Other innovations included post-firing carvings and post-firing etching, called sgraffito.