This painted wood carving of the Madonna sits in a nook adjacent to the kitchen where I live. I've been fascinated by her and whoever carved her.

For a long time I thought the person under her skirt was Jesus-that it was a creative representation of his birth. But then I noticed the wings. I now think it's an angel. Is the angel male or female or neither? (The angel's face looks similar to Mary's.) Why is the angel half-buried in the earth? Why are Mary's hands so huge, perhaps longer than her face? and the angel's hands so tiny? Is there any reason for the dots on the rays?

I've seen a fair bit of religous art from Mexico, Central and South America. The McNay and the San Antonio Museum of Art both have collections. There are a lot of Madonnas, including ones with earrings, necklaces and many layers of luxuriant fabric. You'll frequently see a halo of stars around her head, and a crescent moon and a snake under her feet. Sometimes, there are roses. But the angel under the skirt is a first for me. It's a playful touch.

The other day, the Madonna was felled by the vacuum cleaner. I came in and saw her on her side with several of the fiery rays fallen out of their slots. Each one is shaped a little differently-and is helpfully numbered 1L thru 8L and 1R thru 8R. She has a slot in her head, but the piece that once slid in there is missing.

For some reason, I believe the carver was a man. I wonder about him and where he sat to carve and who was around as he worked. I think about the care he took to number the rays, and to make a different shaped socket for each. I wonder about his hands.