The Pueblo Storyteller

Storyteller figurines are actually a modern creation of the Pueblo Indians. The very first one was created by Cochiti Pueblo artist Helen Cordelo in 1964 and was actually a male figure - a representation of her grandfather. The piece was commissioned by collector Alexander Girard and many believe that he was actually thinking of the "Singing Mothers"--figures of women holding or carrying a child or two that several Cochiti potters were making.

This is a female storyteller I made for my mother in 1991. This piece is important to me because until I made it, I did not like primitive human figurines at all. However, somewhere in the midst of cleaning, firing, researching and painting it - I fell in love with it. And in a way, I saw myself in her. My version is more Navajo in decoration than Pueblo, though. My mother is a great fan of Navajo art, having growing up in southern California and at the time I was far more familiar with their style. This isn't really a major departure. The Pueblo and Navajo have been friendly neighbors for centuries.

The piece is poured ceramic, painted with acrylic and sealed. Usually the children are glued on so they are hanging all over her, but I made this for my mother and she wanted to be able to move them around.