Jemez Pueblo Pottery Storyteller Doll By Marie Toya

Late 20th Century

7.375" H x 5.125" L x 4.875" W

Hand Made from Clay of a Sitting Adult with Five Children One Holding a Bundled Baby One Child Holding a Drum and One Child Holding a Plate

In Good Condition with Light Paint Wear

Marie R. (Roberta) Toya is a contemporary Jemez Pueblo potter specializing in storyteller dolls and nativities. Born July 1956 into Jemez Pueblo (Walatowa), New Mexico; member of the Water Clan. Daughter of potters Casimiro (“Cas”) Toya and Mary E. (Ellen) Toya (1934–1990). Her mother was a key figure in the mid-20th-century revival of traditional Jemez pottery and was known for large storytellers (some with over 100 children).
Learned by watching and working with her mother. Sisters who also make pottery include Judy Toya (1953–2023), Anita Toya, and Mary Ellen Toya. Has been producing pottery since the 1970s (sources variously note starting around 1972 or 1978). She digs her own clay from the Jemez Reservation, uses natural slips, and traditionally fires outdoors.