Mary Lucero Jemez Pueblo Storyteller Figure with Three Children View Watchlist >
Seller Accepts Credit Cards
Payment and pickup instructions will be available on your invoice (under "My Account") at the conclusion of this auction.
Lot # F800
System ID # 29484603
Start Date
End Date
5 Watching
Mary Lucero Jemez Pueblo Storyteller Figure with Three Children
A hand-sculpted, hand-painted storyteller by Mary Lucero of Jemez Pueblo, New Mexico, signed on the underside "Mary Lucero / Jemez Pue, N.M." The seated mother figure tilts her head back with an open, singing mouth — the central gesture of the storyteller tradition — wearing a turquoise-blue beaded necklace and a black manta with terracotta and cream detailing. Three children gather across her lap and shoulder, each with distinct expression: one with a hand raised to the cheek, one wide-eyed and smiling, and one resting against her arm. Painted slip in red clay, cream, black, and blue completes the figures down to the patterned moccasins and the geometric border running along the draped shawl.
The storyteller form traces to Cochiti potter Helen Cordero, who revived the figurative tradition in 1964; Jemez Pueblo became one of the most active communities carrying the form forward. The open-mouthed adult surrounded by listening children represents the oral transmission of stories and song across generations — the work earns its place as both a folk-art object and a record of a living cultural practice.
CONDITION
Very Good. Shelf wear consistent with display and a small stain to the right rear. Paint and sculpted detail remain crisp throughout; signature legible on the base.
DIMENSIONS / SPECIFICATIONS
- 4 1/2" H × 4 1/4" W × 3 1/4" D
- Three children figures
- Signed: Mary Lucero, Jemez Pueblo, N.M.
- Roosevelt Dime Shown for Scale — Not Included
