Modern Female Storyteller c. 1980s by Vangie Suina

Featuring striking perfection and remarkable detail, this storyteller figurine exemplifies the signature craftsmanship of Cochiti Pueblo artist Vangie Suina. Her refined, cohesive style shines through in the sculpture's clean lines and expressive form.

At the center, a matriarchal figure cradles twenty children, gathered lovingly across her lap and nestled within her shawl, capturing the rich Pueblo tradition of passing down oral histories to future generations. Intricate, hand-painted iconography adorns the piece, with traditional symbols representing rain clouds, water, and essential natural elements that ground the figure in the sacred Southwest landscape. From the precise, eye-catching details rendered on the figures' clothing to the balanced finish, this piece stands as an exceptional showcase of contemporary Cochiti Pueblo (Ko'tyit) pottery.

A Deeper Look at Vangie Suina

Usually when a Puebloan potter creates pottery, they make the piece, dry it, paint it, then fire it. Mary Evangeline Suina (1959- ) Vangie  likes to make her pieces and fire them before painting the decorations. She also likes to make storytellers with up to 100 tiny children. Instead of firing her storytellers after painting, she uses acrylic paints or poster paints on the already-fired clay, which gives her colors a distinct brightness. Her dedication to crafting intricate, lively figures with scores of tiny children has made her work highly sought after by collectors of Southwest Native American art. This figurine is signed on the bottom Vangie Suina, AWS.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Female Storyteller with 20 children circa 1980s by Vangie Suina is from a client of Adobe Gallery.

Reference and Recommended Reading: 

• Pottery of the Southwest by Allan and Carol Hayes 

• Clay Mirror, From Monos to Storytellers: Reflections from Cochiti Pueblo by Tom & Charlotte Mittler

TAGS: Cochiti Pueblo, Louise Q. Suina, Southwest Indian Pottery, Vangi Suina