Storyteller Figure

Artist Ada Suina born 1930 Cochiti Pueblo, New Mexico

Date1993

Mediumfired clay with pigments

Dimensionslarge storyteller: 11 × 9 1/2 × 12 1/2 in. (27.9 × 24.1 × 31.8 cm)
small seated figure with outstreatched arms and legs: 3 × 2 3/4 × 2 1/2 in. (7.6 × 7 × 6.4 cm)
small figure laying: 1 3/4 × 1 3/4 × 3 5/8 in. (4.4 × 4.4 × 9.2 cm)
small seated figure holding smaller figure: 2 3/4 × 1 3/4 × 2 in. (7 × 4.4 × 5.1 cm)
small seated figure with hands over eyes: 2 3/4 × 2 × 2 1/2 in. (7 × 5.1 × 6.4 cm)
coyote: 6 1/2 × 3 1/4 × 4 1/4 in. (16.5 × 8.3 × 10.8 cm)
prairie dog with cloud design on tail: 3 1/2 × 1 1/4 × 3 in. (8.9 × 3.2 × 7.6 cm)
prairie dog with mirrored cloud design on tail: 3 3/4 × 1 3/8 × 3 in. (9.5 × 3.5 × 7.6 cm)
prairie dog with geometric design on tail: 3 1/2 × 1 1/2 × 2 1/2 in. (8.9 × 3.8 × 6.4 cm)
prairie dog with mirrored geometric design on tail: 3 3/4 × 1 1/2 × 3 1/4 in. (9.5 × 3.8 × 8.3 cm)
prairie dog with wide white band on tail: 3 1/2 × 1 3/4 × 2 1/2 in. (8.9 × 4.4 × 6.4 cm)
prairie dog with narrow white band on tail: 3 3/8 × 1 1/2 × 2 3/4 in. (8.6 × 3.8 × 7 cm)

ClassificationsCeramic

Credit LineAlbuquerque Museum, gift of the estate of Ruth and Sidney Schultz

Object numberPC2022.44.85.A-L

DescriptionA large storyteller figure wearing a bandana with fourteen small figures seated on the storyteller. Surrounding the storyteller figure is a grouping of small, unattached sculptures of children: 1) one seated with arms and legs outstretched; 2) one lying on their stomach with legs crossed and chin resting on their hands; 3) one with legs outstretched and holding a smaller figure; and 4) one seated with legs outstretched and their hands placed over their eyes. In addition, there is a separate grouping of one large red coyote (or fox) with six red pups surrounding it.

On View

Not on view

Text Entries

Label Text

Indigenous Art, Culture, and Community: Works from the Ruth and Sydney Schultz Collection

on view 02/04/2023 - 07/23/2023

Ada Suina’s Storyteller is an innovation on the storyteller style that was developed by Helen Cordero of Cochiti Pueblo. Cordero’s style featured a male figure with children sitting in his lap. She wanted to honor her grandfather, who was a storyteller and continued Cochiti’s oral history traditions. Suina’s innovation in this style shows a grandfather figure telling the Cochiti legend of Coyote and Prairie Dog. This storyteller, however, is completely unique in that the subjects of the story are also present in the scene. Suina noted that this piece was very special to her, and it is the only one like it that she ever made. Suina, who is part of the Fox Clan at Cochiti, tells the story of Coyote and Prairie Dog:

Long, long ago, when the earth was young and full of all kinds of animal creatures, Mr. Coyote paraded about the land boasting that he could carry a club stick with his tail. All animals laughed and made fun of him because he always wanted to be better than anyone else, except the Prairie Dog. Prairie Dog would dance in a circle around Coyote in amazement. Cochiti children were taught to sing the song, especially those of the Fox/Coyote Clan. The children would dance in mimic of Coyote.