Terra cotta storyteller sculpture

Museums tell stories with objects, but this object represents an actual storyteller! Traditional storytellers are important characters in Pueblo culture. This painted terra cotta storyteller was made by Rose Pecos-Sun Rhodes in Jemez, New Mexico, in 1993. She says that she was inspired to make this work when her Arapaho cowboy husband placed a cowboy hat onto a little boy’s head. The many small active figures around the central storyteller represent both the children listening to the story and the scenes and characters that the storyteller brings to life as her story unfolds.

 

When asked what she hopes the viewer of her work will feel, Pecos-Sun Rhodes said, “Feelings of warmth and joy with a storyteller loving all the children who have come to listen and learn from her and from the playfulness of children with their inquisitive nature and sense of exploration. I believe storytelling is universal and something all or most people can relate to. I hope it also gives the visitors a sense of togetherness.”