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San Ildefonso Pueblo/Santa Clara Pueblo

Marvin, of San Ildefonso Pueblo and his wife Frances Martinez, originally of the Santa Clara Pueblo, where potters are known for their fine polishing work, create pottery together. Marvin and Frances work in the traditional matte black-on-black designs of his grandparents and great-grandparents. Using clay gathered from pueblo land and hand-processed at home, they then hand-coil their pots, stone polish them, decorate them with designs in bee-weed and fire their pots outdoors. Marvin is known for his depictions of the Avanyu, the water serpent, which his great-grandfather Julian Martinez made famous. He occasionally varies by adding rain coming down from the clouds in the Avanyu design, as well as altering the teeth of the serpent.