According to Barbara Babcock in her book The Pueblo Storyteller, Marie Romero and her mother Persingula Gachupin made the first storytellers at Jemez Pueblo. Marie became instrumental in expanding storyteller creation at the pueblo during her years in the 1070’s teaching pottery making at Jemez Day School.
This lovely piece is typical of her work in the 1070’s. It is very similar in a number of ways to the one in Color Plate 17 in Babcocks book: the paired arching black lines that form the mother’s eyebrows and eyelids; her simple beaded necklace, the modeled nose, the clay base that forms a footrest of sorts for the mother, and the circular open mouth on the mother. This piece has 7 children plus one infant in a cradle-board.
Condition is excellent, original, and unrestored.