Santo Rendered by Ranka S. Woods watercolor, graphite, and gouache on paperboard, 25.2 x 19.9 cm (9 15/16 x 7 13/16 in.) Index of American Design 1943.8.17138

From the Tour: Folk Arts of the Spanish Southwest from the Index of American Design
Object 12 of 25

The other form of artistic expression most common to colonial New Mexico was the "bulto." Also made by the "santeros," these are small carvings in the round representing a single religious figure or a group. Usually made of cottonwood roots or pine, the figures were covered with gesso ground and painted. This "bulto" depicts the Holy Trinity. Here, the three figures seem grown together, giving additional emphasis to the idea of the Trinity. A knotted leather thong is tied around the figures.

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