Nine-Piece Pottery Polychrome Nacimiento [SOLD]

Dorothy Loretto Trujillo, who passed away in 1999, was an outstanding potter. She was originally from Jemez Pueblo, but moved to Cochiti following her marriage to Onofre Trujillo, and obtained permission to make pottery using Cochiti clay.  After moving to Cochiti Pueblo, Dorothy started making pottery in the Cochiti style, abandoning her Jemez style.

Dorothy was one of the early potters to make storytellers.  She was from a family of outstanding potters. Her sisters, Mary E. Toya, Marie Edna Coriz, Alma Concha Loretto, Fannie Wall Loretto, and Lenora Lupe Lucero, are famous potters as well.  Interestingly, her sisters also married out of their native pueblo and moved to the pueblo of their spouses.  Dorothy began making Storytellers before 1970. Two years later, she began making Nativities (Nacimientos). Dorothy shared her pottery-making knowledge with others. She had taught at least three people, including two of her own daughters. Her Storytellers may have only one or over 40 babies. One of her Storytellers is on exhibit at the Smithsonian Institution, Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.

This nine-piece nacimiento has accession numbers on the figurines that begins with 85-, usually an indication of the year of acquisition by a museum.  This set quite likely does date to 1985 or earlier.  The set consists of The Holy family, three Kings, an Angel, and two animals.  All the figures are dressed in Pueblo clothing style and the three Kings are bearing gifts of a rabbit, ears of Indian corn, and a basket.

Condition: The right arm of the King with ears of corn has been broken off and glued back in place.  We will have this professionally repaired.  Some of the black paint is slightly abraded but not significantly.

Provenance: appears to be from a museum collection deaccessioned, and now from the collection of a resident of Michigan.

Recommended Reading:  Nacimientos: Nativity Scenes by Southwest Indian Artisans by Guy and Doris Monthan (A nacimiento by Dorothy is featured in this book).