Cochiti Pueblo Tall Owl with 2 Baby Owls [SOLD]

Cochiti Pueblo has a long history of producing figurative pottery. It reached its prime in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first quarter of the 20th century. There was a strong revival in the early 1970s with the production of storyteller figurines. Some potters at Cochiti expanded beyond the traditional storyteller figurines. Seferina Ortiz was one of them.

Pueblo potters have been very flexible in providing items that are saleable to tourists and collectors.  It is doubtful that figurines were ever made for in-house use by pueblo people.  From the very first, figurines were made to sell through stores in Santa Fe or during the annual Santa Fe Indian Market.  Potters made bowls and jars for their own use but adapted to providing what buyers wanted.

This figurine of an owl is more sculpted than most.  I presume it is an earlier one by Seferina, at a time when there was less rush to produce items for sale.  The head is sculpted as are the eyes and legs.  The two baby owls sitting on the adult's wings were very well made and painted.  Overall, this figurine is well above average when compared to other Cochiti owls.  Take note that there is a ceremonial line break on the neck of the owl, just below the mouth.

Condition: original condition

Recommended Reading:  A River Apart: The Pottery of Cochiti & Santo Domingo Pueblos by Valerie Verzuh, et al.

Provenance: from the collection of a New Mexico resident who provided over 75 Cochiti figurines for our 2015 Holiday Storyteller Exhibit