I think the key to unlocking the mystery of this piece is to properly decipher the name. I doubt it is Martin, but it may be Marin, Maren, or Maun, I simply don't know. As for me, sorry but I am no help with the correct name.
As I am sure you know studio pottery or student pottery is very hard to ID (there is so much undocumented). If I were trying to research this I would start locally, maybe by taking the photo to a local ceramic studio and see if the ceramicist(s) there are familiar with the signature. Local artists often know and can recognize their fellow local artists work and local ceramic history (in case this is older). In the only town I am interested in it's studio ceramics I know a current ceramicist and he is my go-to guy for info about that locales ceramicists.
Concerning the burlap mentioned elsewhere - I have to wonder if that may be a clue as to the artist and its use is part of the design. It would seem to me that other choices of fabric could be made, why did this artist use burlap?
