Cochiti Potter Helen Cordero and the Storyteller Dolls: Inno

In February 2026, a compelling pottery figure caught my

eye in a San Rafael, California hospice thrift store and

came home with me. Just over seven inches tall, I

immediately recognized it as a “storyteller” doll from the

American Southwest. Open-mouthed, there are thirteen

children attached to the clay figure—some sleeping, some

crawling, some hanging on. On the bottom is the artist’s

mark—CLS, 1989 (year) and Jemez. A quick search

identified the maker as Caroline Loretto Seonia from the

Jemez Pueblo in New Mexico.. The origin of the

storyteller dolls is relatively modern, though based upon

ancient traditions. The Cochiti people of New Mexico had a

strong tradition of figurative pottery. For many decades, a few

Cochiti women made “Singing Mothers,” figurines with one or

two children. At age 45, Helen Cordero (1915-1994) 

 wanted to earn more money. She had raised

six children—her four children, and after her sister’s

death, her two nephews. Cordero began making jewelry

and leather work for sale with her husband’s cousin, but

the materials were expensive. Grandma Juana suggested

that they make pottery as the clay and pigments could be

dug from the earth. Materials were free, and the pottery

was fired using traditional techniques. Helen attempted to

make bowls, but they were lopsided, so she turned to

making small figures of clay.

In 1964, Helen Cordero was commissioned by artist-

collector Alexander Girard to make a larger figure with

several children. The first storyteller doll was a

grandfather surrounded by five grandchildren. Cordero

was inspired by her own grandfather, Santiago Quintero, a

renowned storyteller and important preserver of tribal

history.

The storyteller doll broke from tradition in two distinctive

ways—it featured a male figure rather than a Singing

Mother and had many more children. Cordero would

make as many as thirty children for later dolls.

Cordero’s work immediately caused a sensation, as she

won awards at the New Mexico State Fair and the Santa

Fe Indian Market. Her work would later be featured in

international collections and exhibits, art journals and

books. Soon potters in Cochiti and in other nearby pueblos

such as Jemez began making their own variations.

Cordero singlehandedly started a cottage industry that has

brought income and recognition to the pueblos and the

(mostly) women potters.

By the mid-1980s, more than 175 potters were making

storyteller dolls of all kinds. The playful open-mouthed

dolls come in different shapes and sizes that include male,

female and animal figures such as coyotes and turtles.They celebrate the important act of sharing stories to

strengthen and preserve traditions and knowledge.

Cordero’s original storyteller doll resides in the Museum

of International Folk Art in Santa Fe. Cordero’s storyteller

dolls created a pathway for herself, her family and other

surrounding communities to earn money from visiting

tourists and collectors. The economic impact cannot be

understated as women’s financial wellbeing protects

families and stabilizes communities. There are now many

generations of artisans within well-known New Mexico

families such as the Cordero family and the Loretto

family.

I discovered that the maker of the storyteller doll that

graces my home, Caroline (or Carolina) Loretto Seonia

(1928-2008), first started making storyteller dolls about

1978. She learned pottery by observing her mother and

then passed her skills down to her daughter Debbie

Loretto.

I also discovered that Caroline was not only born the same

year as my mother, but her daughter and I were born just

two weeks apart. I treasure the synchronicity. I do not

come from a family of potters, but I do come from a

tradition of fine craftsmanship. I recently taught my

daughter embroidery stitches, just as my mother taught

me. As we stitch, we inevitably share stories, just as I

imagine the women potters do as they fashion their

storyteller dolls.

Fired pottery was an innovation that helped the Pueblo

peoples carry water, store grain and sustain their cultures

in often harsh desert conditions. Like her ancestors who

fashioned those first pots, her enchanting innovation has

contributed to sustaining countless Pueblo families while

inspiring creativity.

Storyteller Doll by Caroline Loretto Seonia (1989)  

Sources:

Babcock, Barbara A., Guy Monthan, and Doris Monthan.

The Pueblo Storyteller: Development of a Figurative

Ceramic Tradition. University of Arizona Press, 1986.

Cordero, Helen. Storyteller Doll. 1964. Ceramic. Museum

of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United

States. Accessed April 15, 2026.

https://collection.internationalfolkart.org/search/helen%20

cordero%20storyteller%201964.

Howard, Nancy Shroyer. Helen Cordero and the

Storytellers of Cochiti Pueblo. Davis Publications, 1995

Next Chapter

Table of Contents