Jemez Pueblo Storyteller Figure By Leonora “Lupe” Loretto Lucero

Late 20th Century

10″ H x 8″ L x 7.5″ W – 1.75″ H x 3.625″ x 3.375″ D – 1.5″ H x 2.75″ D – 6x’s 1.25″ H x 2.375″ L x .375″ W

Hand Coiled Clay Adult Figure with 2 Children with Watermelon and 2 Extra Bowls and 6 Watermelon Slices with Black Leather Ties and Raffita Coming out of their Ears

The bowls and watermelon slices are all “loose” and can be arranged as desired.

From a Private Colorado Collection

Very Good Condition ; Short 1/2″ Hairline crack in one bowl as pictured.

Leonora “Lupe” Loretto Lucero (born 1943), a noted Jemez Pueblo potter also associated with San Felipe Pueblo through marriage. She is part of the prominent Loretto family of potters and learned the craft from her sister Dorothy Trujillo of Cochiti. Lupe is known for traditional storyteller figures, often with fewer children (e.g., 24), and sometimes signed variations like “L. Lucero” or “Lupe Lucero.” Her works appear in collections (e.g., National Museum of the American Indian) and books on Pueblo pottery.

Jemez Pueblo Storyteller Figures are a beloved form of Native American pottery originating from the Pueblo peoples, particularly popularized at Cochiti Pueblo in the 1960s by artist Helen Cordero. The style quickly spread to nearby Jemez Pueblo (Walatowa), where it became one of the most prolific and distinctive traditions in Southwestern pottery. These hand-coiled clay figures typically depict a central adult figureoften a grandmother or motherwith an open mouth (symbolizing singing or storytelling), surrounded by multiple children climbing on or listening attentively. They represent the oral transmission of cultural stories, songs, and traditions across generations.