A SIAN AD O B E From China and Beyond Photos Carolyn Wright
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alking into Asian Adobe, you feel like a kid walking into a candy store; there are many bright things to look at, many things to touch and try. Where does one start? Asian Adobe has its roots in the mid1990s when store owner Fidelia Kirk and her husband lived in northern China. She began developing relationships with the local antique furniture collectors, and cultivated an interest in collecting
Chinese baby hats, baby collars and other hand-embroidered textiles. She further became enchanted in the wide variety of pearls readily available and began studying the colors, shapes and sizes as she built her personal collection. As a result of this study, Asian Adobe now boasts the finest collection of pearl jewelry in New Mexico. “I buy things I love,” explains Kirk. “And I love pearls!” With a background in banking, oil and gas, Kirk is an unusual
candidate to found and own a retail store. However, her interesting life path led her to China and Singapore, only to lead her back to Santa Fe to share her love of buying and collecting. Asian Adobe has been open for 12 years — four at the Railyard and eight at the current location on Johnson St. The attractive well-made art, furniture, accessories and décor like lamps, paintings, pillows and floral-pieces harken from all over the world, spanning