Helen Cordero “The Children’s Hour” Figurine Set [SOLD]

An Exceptional Set of Figurines by Helen Cordero

The Children's Hour Storyteller Set, circa early 1970s

This extraordinary set of figurines was created by the legendary Cochiti Pueblo artist Helen Cordero. On rare occasions, Cordero departed from her signature format — where children cling directly to the main figure — and instead crafted independent children meant to sit around the adult. She titled these specific, highly coveted sets The Children's Hour. While still classified as storytellers, these freestanding ensembles are exceptionally scarce on today's market.

Crafted in the early 1970s, this exceptional set features a central Pueblo patriarch painted in Cordero's classic orange and black on a cream slip. He is depicted in his traditional pose — eyes closed and mouth open in song or story — but with a clean, unencumbered torso.

A Chorus of Listeners

The set includes ten accompanying children, offering a wonderful level of interactivity as the viewer can arrange them at will. Each child displays a unique personality and reaction to the tale:

The Girls: Two young girls are dressed in traditional Pueblo mantas, draped over one shoulder. One wears a delicate necklace, while the other covers her eyes, perhaps reacting to a frightening twist in the story.

The Boys: The eight boys feature distinct, meticulously painted attire. One wears a striped shirt and a cap; another kneels in an orange-and-black plaid shirt. Two boys in patterned shirts look downward in deep reflection, while two smaller, younger boys gaze upward in absolute awe. The final two figures appear to be brothers — the older sibling comforting the younger, who covers his eyes in suspense.

Signatures and Condition

This complete set represents an extraordinarily rare pinnacle of Cordero's oeuvre. The primary figure is signed Helen Cordero, Cochiti N.M. on the base. Each individual child is signed either Helen Cordero or H. Cordero.

About the Artist

Helen Cordero (1915-1994) was one of the most influential forces in 20th-century Native American art. She lived her entire life at Cochiti Pueblo, where she married the artist and Cochiti Governor, Fred Cordero.

Remarkably, Cordero invented the storyteller figurine out of necessity. She initially worked with leather, and when she attempted traditional pottery, her bowls and jars often turned out misshapen. At the suggestion of her aunt, she pivoted to figurative pottery. This breakthrough birthed the Storyteller motif, fundamentally transforming the landscape of Pueblo pottery. Today, Cordero's original works remain the most valuable and fiercely sought examples in the world.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: This Helen Cordero "The Children's Hour" Figurine Set was purchased by the current owners from Dennis and Janis Lyon of Scottsdale in the early 1970s

Recommended Reading: The Pueblo Storyteller: Development of a Figurative Ceramic Tradition by Barbara Babcock Ph.D.

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