Navajo Painted Storyteller Gourd By Jim Smith

ca. 1998

8" H x 5" D

Hand Carved and Painted Gourd with Five Wooden Children and Adorned with Yarn

In Very Good Condition

The Navajo Storyteller Gourd by Jim Smith is a type of Native American folk art piece created by artist JM Smith.

Storyteller figures, inspired by Pueblo traditions (like Cochiti Pueblo storyteller dolls), but adapted using dried gourds as the base material. The design typically features a central seated "mother" or elder figure with multiple small child figures attached or clustered around it, symbolizing an elder telling stories to children—often painted with vibrant Native American motifs, geometric patterns, earthy colors, and cultural symbols.