Cochiti Pueblo Female Storyteller by Felipa Trujillo with 2 Children [SOLD]

It is well known that Helen Cordero made what has now been named the Storyteller figurine in 1964.  Her definition of a storyteller was that it was in honor of her grandfather, a well-known storyteller at Cochiti Pueblo, so it was always a male figurine in her eyes.

Before Cordero's first storyteller, female figurines were made by potters at Cochiti and they have been named Singing Mothers orSinging Ladies.  In the book The Pueblo Storyteller by Barbara Babcock, there is a Singing Mother figurine which Babcock says pre-dates 1930.  She further states that "The shape of her head and ears and her 'coffee bean' eyes are remarkably similar to figures made by Felipa Trujillo in the 1960s and 1970s."  If this is indeed one made by Felipa Trujillo before 1930, she must be one of the earliest Cochiti potters to do so.

Babcock also states that Trujillo began making storyteller figurines in the mid-1960s.  We know that Cordero made the first one in 1964, so Trujillo must not have been far behind her.  Trujillo was one of the seven artists represented in the Museum of International Folk Art exhibit "What is Folk Art?" in 1973.  It seems fairly obvious that Trujillo was one of the earliest potters to make storyteller figurines.

This storyteller is signed Cochiti NM Felipa on the underside.  There are two children sitting on the adult's lap and she has her hands holding on to them.  It is believed that this figurine was made in the 1970s.

Condition:  Structurally the storyteller figurine is in excellent condition.  There are some minor scratches on the black dress but nothing of great significance.

Provenance: from a Santa Fe gentleman

Recommended Reading: The Pueblo Storyteller by Barbara Babcock