Del Trancosa, Cochiti Pueblo Potter from San Felipe

Pueblo storytellers are by a potter from San Felipe Pueblo, we offer the following explanation. Del Transcosa was a member of San Felipe Pueblo who married into Cochiti Pueblo. He, of course, remains a member of San Felipe Pueblo. His relocation to Cochiti Pueblo as the son-in-law of Helen Cordero, his use of Cochiti clay and slip, and the obvious resemblance to the work of Helen Cordero qualifies his storyteller figurines to be Cochiti Pueblo in origin and not San Felipe.

He signs his figurines Del Transcosa Cochiti N.M. on the underside in a box arrangement like that used by Helen Cordero.

In Barbara Babcock's book, referenced below, page 31, there is a photograph of one of his storytellers, made in 1980, that is indicated as "among his first." It is not known how many storyteller figurines Del Transcosa made, but this is the first one Adobe Gallery has seen in person, and we have been featuring such figurines since the late 1970s.

Recommended Reading: The Pueblo Storyteller: Development of a Figurative Ceramic Tradition by Barbara Babcock Ph.D.

TAGS: storyteller figurine, pottery, Cochiti Pueblo, San Felipe Pueblo, Katishtya, Helen Cordero