Matriarch Helen Cordero Mother Turtle Figurine with Four Children [SOLD]

This exquisite figurine by Helen Cordero (1915-1994) is more than a piece of pottery; it is a three-dimensional retelling of a beloved Cochiti Pueblo legend. It depicts Mother Turtle, the sacred protector who emerges to rescue children during times of danger, flood, or turmoil.

While Cordero created several Mother Turtle figures throughout her storied career, no two are identical. Each is a unique "family" captured in clay, characterized by the distinct personalities and clothing of the children she carries.

The Narrative: A Journey of Protection

This intimately scaled figurine features four children, each reacting to their journey with a different emotion. One boy sits perched on the turtle's neck, clutching her head with a look of pure excitement. Three boys ride securely on the shell, seated atop a meticulously painted Navajo "Sunday saddle blanket": One sits in a stoic, erect position; the second clutches the shoulders of the boy in front for safety; the youngest child has his head thrown back, peering off to the side in wonder. In a touching detail, Mother Turtle has her head turned back, checking on her passengers to ensure everyone is safe.

Though smaller in scale than some of her monumental works, this piece loses none of the detail that made Cordero a global icon. The children bear her unmistakable signature style.

The Legacy of Helen Cordero

Helen Cordero is widely credited with inventing the "Storyteller" motif in 1964, revolutionizing contemporary Pueblo pottery. She lived her entire life at Cochiti Pueblo, married to the artist and Governor Fred Cordero, and her work is now held in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian and the Heard Museum.

As Helen famously said:  "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 figurine is singed Helen Cordero, Cochiti NMex.

There is a photograph included of Helen holding the turtle at the time the previous owner purchased it.

Condition: excellent condition

Provenance: this Matriarch Helen Cordero Mother Turtle Figurine with Four Children is from the collection of the person who purchased it from Helen Cordero at her home in 1983

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