This bowl by Native American artist Maria Martinez and her husband Julian Martinez came to the

This bowl by Native American artist Maria Martinez and her husband Julian Martinez came to the Conservation lab in preparation for display in the newly reinstalled American galleries. While it is in excellent condition, with no losses or major damages, the surface was dusty and dirty, creating a gray haze on the surface as seen in the photo on the left.Maria Martinez is known for revitalizing this glossy and matte, black on black style of pottery which the native cultures of the southwest had been creating for centuries. Although this type of pottery has a long history, Martinez brought a new level of craftsmanship to this technically challenging style.The bowl was built from coils of clay, and then the entire surface of the vessel was highly burnished, by rubbing with a smooth stone to create a shiny surface. This polishing was time-consuming and had to be carried out in a consistent manner to obtain an even, shiny surface. After burnishing the surface, the matte pattern was painted in slip with a brush. Slip is clay that has been diluted with water to a thin consistency; it is often used for ceramic decoration. In the case of this bowl, the slip was painted on to create the matte feather pattern on the front. After firing the pattern became permanent.While the conservation treatment carried out on this bowl was a simple cleaning, it has returned the glossy surface to its intended appearance highlighting the craftsmanship of this beautiful vessel. See this object on view in the newly reinstalled 5th floor American Galleries.Posted by Erin Anderson -- source link

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