SIX ARTIST SIGNED NATIVE AMERICAN ART COCHITI PUEBLO STORYTELLER FIGURINES. Signed artists: DOROTHY TRUJILLO, ANTOINETTE CONCHA and TONY DALLAS. Artist signed Cochiti Pueblo storyteller figurines where the main figure is typically a seated adult storyteller ("Singing Mother" or "Storyteller Mother") with their mouth open, surrounded by small children (the listeners) climbing, sitting, or resting on the parent's body. The open mouth symbolizes the act of singing, chanting, or telling traditional stories.
ARTIST PROFILE: DOROTHY TRUJILLO (1932-1999) was originally from Jemez pueblo but married and moved to Cochiti Pueblo. She learned to make pottery from her mother, Carrie Reid (Laguna). Her sisters Lupe Lucero, Fannie Wall Loretto, and Mary Toya are also well-known potters.
ARTIST PROFILE: ANTOINETTE CONCHA was born into the Water Clan at Jemez Pueblo in 1964 (although her pueblo affiliation is both Jemez and Taos) and has been making pottery since 1976. She is the daughter of Alma Concha Loretto Maestas and Delfino Concha. She specializes in making koshares, storytellers and nativity sets.
ARTIST PROFILE: TONY DALLAS is a full-blooded Native American Indian, born in 1956 into the Hopi Reservation. He married into the Cochiti Pueblo in the early 1980's. From an early age, he was inspired to learn the art of working with clay sculptures by observing his mother-in-law, Lucy R. Suina. Tony seriously began making pottery in 1982, learning all the ancient traditional methods of constructing pottery and clay sculptures. His love, however, turned out to be storytellers that he endowed with his own creative genius. - HEIGHT: Tallest figure: 6 inches. Estimate $250-350
