Helen Cordero is undoubtedly one of the great names in Cochiti pottery.  It was in 1964 that Cordero said she made her first storyteller.  According to her, “I made some more of my Storytellers with lots of children climbing on him to listen, then I took them up to the Santo Domingo Feast Day” and the rest is history.  Her pieces were all males, to honor her grandfather, whom she would hear telling children stories of Pueblo life and culture.  She received the New Mexico Governor’s Award in 1982 and the NEA Heritage Fellowship in 1986.  This is one of her classic male storyteller figures.  The figure is sitting with a child one his lap, along with a dog!  It is CHARMING!  The figure is tightly painted with flowers on the shirt and a delicate necklace.  The child has a checkerboard pattern on their shirt.  This is certainly Helen at her best with charming figures and tightly painted designs.  As well, notice the mouth with the protruding lips, which is also typical of her earlier work.   She used a variety of traditional Cochiti designs on the figure.  The piece was painted with wild spinach (black) and red clay on white clay.  It was traditionally fired.  It is signed on the bottom, “Helen Cordero”.  It is in excellent condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.