Recessed niches are extremely common in the almost universal adobe walls of Santa Fe, New Mexico. This 18” clay figure lives in a niche by the front door in the little casita where we are staying this summer. From the shape and design of the cap, and the pan pipes that she(?) is playing, I assume the musician depicted is Inca. But I have no specialist knowledge to help me with the cultural ID, so the figure could be from Eastern Europe for all I know. After all, Santa Fe is a center for folk art from around the world. Its Museum of International Folk Art is apparently home to the world’s largest collection of folk art, including more than 150,000 artifacts from over 100 cultures.

If you want to read more about the Folk Art Market which gets underway July 11-13, check here and here.