This is a phenomenal and rare piece by Maria Martinez.  It was made by her and painted by her son, Popovi Da.  The plate has the classic feather pattern for which her pottery was known.  It is not often that we see red pieces from Maria as red is always more difficult to fire and time consuming to paint.  It is also a much larger plate than the more typical 10″ or 12″ style which they usually made.  Any plate over 12″ is considered a “major work” because the potential of it cracking in the firing increases as the size of the diameter increases.  The plate is from 1956-9 and it is signed on the back in the clay “Maria / Popovi”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration or repair. It is simply stunning.