Male Storyteller Figurine with 6 Children [SOLD]

Special Offer: The consignor has requested we reduce the asking price of this storyteller by 20% from the original price of $3500 to a new price of $2800.

Tim Cordero is the son of the late Jimmy Cordero and his Hopi wife Lenora Holmes. Tim started making pottery between 1979 and 1980, at the age of 16 or 17, while living in Cochiti with his grandmother, Helen Cordero.

The base areas of this figurine are slipped in Cochiti cream slip and highlighted with red slip and black paint for the designs. I would expect this to be an early figurine by Tim as he painted the eyes in the open position. Later, he painted them closed, as did his grandmother. There is a strong similarity between his work and his grandmothers, as would be expected.

Following Helen Cordero’s death in 1994, Tim no longer visited Cochiti Pueblo and therefore no longer made storyteller figurines. Even when Helen was alive, he only visited in summers so his production during those few summers was rather limited. I do not believe there are many of his storyteller figurines in existence.

The figurine is signed, in guaco, Tim Cordero Tuba City, Ariz. It is in original excellent condition. Only a small abrasion of the black paint on the back of the head is evident, and this is very minor.