RARE Cochiti Pueblo Historic Female Pottery Figurine

This Cochiti Pueblo historic female figurine is a rare and charming example of traditional figurative pottery. She is depicted standing in classic Pueblo dress, painted in polychrome, black. and reddish brown over a white slip. Her features and posture are simply rendered, yet expressive, reflecting the creativity and with characteristics of early Cochiti work.

Cochiti Pueblo has a long and celebrated tradition of crafting pottery figures, a form that flourished during the late 1800s and early 1900s. These figures often carried playful and satirical elements, sometimes portraying outsiders such as Spanish clergy, merchants, or circus performers. While early museum curators dismissed them as inappropriate or unrefined, they are now widely appreciated for their humor, historical value, and cultural insight.

Production of these figurative pieces diminished for many decades until a revival in the 1970s, when Cochiti potters reintroduced the form through storyteller figures and other innovations. However, historic figurines like this one remain exceptionally scarce. We are fortunate to offer this piece — a delightful and meaningful survivor from a nearly lost era of Pueblo pottery.

Condition: very good condition with one repair on the right leg

Provenance: This RARE Cochiti Pueblo Historic Female Pottery Figurine is from the collection of a client of Adobe Gallery.

Recommended Reading: A River Apart: The Pottery of Cochiti & Santo Domingo Pueblos by Valerie K. Verzuh

TAGS: Pottery Figurines, Cochiti Pueblo