Cordero, Helen – “Storytime” Set (9 Pieces), 1970s
$ 9,800.00
This is one of Helen Cordero’s famous “Storytime” sets. She 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. The large figure is very complicated in painted design with a checkerboard shirt and squash blossom necklace. The figure is surrounded by eight children. They are each in pairs and are listening to him tell a story. Note the complexity and variety of designs painted on each of the children! It is an extraordinary set and wonderful varied with the children. The pieces were painted with wild spinach (black) and red clay on white clay. The large figure is signed on the bottom, “Helen Cordero”. Some of the children are signed, and some are not, which is not unexpected. On some of her sets, they were expected to sell as group and so she would only sign the largest of the pieces. All the figures were fired. They are all in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.
In stock
This is one of Helen Cordero’s famous “Storytime” sets. She 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. The large figure is very complicated in painted design with a checkerboard shirt and squash blossom necklace. The figure is surrounded by eight children. They are each in pairs and are listening to him tell a story. Note the complexity and variety of designs painted on each of the children! It is an extraordinary set and wonderful varied with the children. The pieces were painted with wild spinach (black) and red clay on white clay. The large figure is signed on the bottom, “Helen Cordero”. Some of the children are signed, and some are not, which is not unexpected. On some of her sets, they were expected to sell as group and so she would only sign the largest of the pieces. All the figures were fired. They are all in very good condition with no chips, cracks, restoration, or repair.
Helen Cordero