Cochiti Pueblo Mother Turtle Figure with 5 Children by Helen Cordero [SOLD]

Helen Cordero's Mother Turtle: A Collaborative Masterpiece

This charming figurine depicts a core Cochiti Pueblo legend: the Mother Turtle who emerges to rescue Pueblo children in times of turmoil, danger, or flood. While the renowned Helen Cordero (1915-1994) created many Mother Turtle figures during her career, she always introduced unique variations in the children, their clothing, and decorative elements.

This particular piece is a collaborative effort between Helen and her son, George Cordero.

Scale and Signature Style

This "Mother Turtle" is one of the largest examples we have seen from Helen's work. It features four children riding securely on the turtle's shell and one child hanging onto its neck. Given its expansive size — larger than the turtles typically made by Helen alone — it is highly likely that George created the large figurine, while Helen applied the paint.

The children bear Helen's unmistakable signature style: their faces, the distinctive plaid and floral shirts, and the overall painting are exactly like those found on her classic Storyteller figures.

The Cordero Legacy

This collaboration highlights Helen's intent to see the family tradition continue. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, she mentored several family members, including her son George, daughter Antonita, grandchildren Tim Cordero, Kevin Peshlakai, and Buffy Cordero, and son-in-law Del Transcosa. Although it can be challenging to distinguish her work from that of her students, pieces like this capture the family effort. Unfortunately, the tradition of making these celebrated pottery figurines ceased within the family after Helen's passing.

The Matriarch

Helen Cordero (1915-1994) was an influential Cochiti Pueblo potter. Cordero lived her entire life at the pueblo, where she married artist and Cochiti governor Fred Cordero. In The Pueblo Storyteller, by Barbara Babcock and Guy and Doris Monthan, Cordero suggested a reason for the popularity of her work: "I don't know why people go for my work the way they do. Maybe it's because to me they aren't just pretty things that I make for money. All my potteries come out of my heart. They're my little people. I talk to them and they're singing. If you're listening, you can hear them." The storyteller has become a significant motif in the world of Native art, and Cordero's pieces are widely considered to be the most sought examples.

Condition: original condition

Provenance: this Cochiti Pueblo Mother Turtle Figure with 5 Children by Helen Cordero is from the estate of a client of Adobe Gallery to whom we sold this in 2012.

Reference and Recommended Reading: The Pueblo Storyteller - Development of a Figurative Ceramic Tradition by Barbara Babcock

TAGS: storyteller figurine, pottery, Cochiti Pueblo, Antonita "Toni" Suina, Buffy Cordero, Tim Cordero, Evon Trujillo, Helen Cordero, George Cordero