Árbol de la vida

Origins of the craft

The creation of Trees of Life is part of the ceramic traditions of central highlands of Mexico. After the Spanish conquest, priests destroyed artworks, including ceramics, which depicted the old gods, and replaced them with images of saints and other Christian icons. The “tree of life” in paintings and other mediums was introduced as a way to evangelize Biblical stories to the native population. In the old days, these were a traditional gift for newlyweds as a symbol of fertility and abundance. During most of the colonial period, ceramics in Mexico were mostly produced for self consumption. Ceramics became a fusion of Spanish and indigenous techniques and designs. It remained so until the first half of the 20th century, when decorative and even luxurious pieces began to be produced. This type of work is typified by the tree of life, especially those that are not religious in function. These non-religious trees have themes such as death or spring. The fashioning of the trees in a clay sculpture began in Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla but today the craft is most closely identified with Metepec because they are distinguish by bright colors. The tree sculptures are part of a clay sculpture tradition found only here. Other common clay sculptures include mermaids as well as Pegasus, roosters, lions, flowers and more.

Description

The most traditional of the trees of life contains a number of important images. At the top of the sculpture, an image of God is placed. Underneath are images related to the creation story, such as the sun and moon, the animals and Adam and Eve. The serpent from the Biblical story also appears, as does the Archangel Gabriel at the bottom, who casts out Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. The tree sculpture looks something like a candelabra. The trees are made primarily for religious and decorative use. Those that contain incense burners are more likely to be use religiously. The trees are fired in gas ovens at a low temperature. Most trees are from between 10 inches to 24 inches in height and can take anywhere from two weeks to three months to create. Extremely large pieces can take up to three years. These trees vary in size from miniatures to gigantic public sculptures. Many trees have unique themes but the most common is the duality of life and death and the relationship of man with the natural world. Most trees are created and sold by artisans who have learned how to make them from their parents and grandparents.

Examples of Árbol de la vida