This is an exceptionally beautiful Cochiti Pueblo storyteller by Seferina Ortiz. It stands 8″ tall and has 4 babies, cuddled inside a beautifully formed and painted blanket. The spacious use of white slip on the blanket and mother’s dress instead of the usual predominant black adds to the light and joyful feel of this piece. The mother’s clothes and the shawl are delicately painted. This is a piece by an artist at the height of her powers; one that exhibits a joy and lightness that is lovely to behold.
By the time that this figure was made, possibly in the 1980’s, Seferina had long been considered a leading figurative artist at Cochiti Pueblo. She had been active producing animal figures in the 1960’s and was one of 6 Cochiti pueblo potters, besides Helen Cordero, known to be producing storytellers by the time of the Museum of Folk Art in Santa Fe’s 1973 show “What is Folk Art” (the others being Aurelia Suina, Francis Suina, Felipa Trujillo, Juanita Arquero and Damacia Cordero–See Barbara Babcock’s “The Pueblo Storyteller”, p. 28). The mother appears so animated and happy that we can almost hear her song.
Condition is excellent, original, and unrestored.