Seferina Ortiz Black Bear Storyteller Figurine with a Cub [SOLD]

This figurine by Seferina Ortiz is a charming female black bear holding her infant cub. The parent bear's mouth is open in the classic storyteller motif (signifying the oral tradition/song), while the cub cradled in her arms looks upward attentively with its paws raised.

The bears are covered in traditional Cochiti matte black pigment with natural cream/white slip details on the paws, snout, and chest, accented with red/orange mineral slip borders and eyes. The figurine is signed on the base as S. Ortiz (Seferina Ortiz).

Seferina Ortiz (1931-2007) was a celebrated master potter from Cochiti Pueblo and a primary matriarch in one of New Mexico's most renowned ceramic families. She learned the craft from her mother, Laurencita Herrera, and passed the traditional methods down to her children — including Virgil Ortiz and Janice Ortiz — as well as her granddaughter, Lisa Holt.

While human storytellers (pioneered by Helen Cordero) are widely known, Cochiti potters frequently created animal storytellers and figurative sculptures (owls, bears, turtles, frogs). Seferina was particularly adept at capturing charm and personality in animal figures like this bear family.

In Pueblo culture, storyteller figures honor elders and the transmission of history, legends, and wisdom to younger generations through oral tradition. Bears in Pueblo tradition symbolize strength, protection, healing, and maternal devotion, making the bear-and-cub pairing a tender representation of nurturing and instruction.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Seferina Ortiz Black Bear Storyteller Figurine with a Cub is from the collection of a client from California

Recommended Reading: Clay Mirror - From Monos to Storytellers: Reflections from Cochiti Pueblo from The Tom & Charlotte Mittler Collection

TAGS: Laurencita Herrera, Southwest Indian Pottery, Cochiti Pueblo, Contemporary Pottery, Seferina Ortiz