Tree of Life (Mexican pottery)
Originally the sculptures depicted the Biblical story of creation, as an aid for teaching it to natives in the early colonial period.
The fashioning of the trees in a terracotta sculpture began in Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla but today the craft is most closely identified with Metepec.
[1] Traditionally, these sculptures are supposed to consist of certain biblical images, such as Adam and Eve, but recently there have been trees created with themes completely unrelated to the Bible.
[1] After the Spanish conquest, friars destroyed articles, including ceramics, that depicted the old gods, and replaced them with images of saints and other Christian iconography.
The depiction of a “tree of life” in paintings and other mediums was introduced as a way to evangelize Biblical stories to the native population.
[2] Other common clay sculptures include mermaids (with a giant one in a section of town called Ciudad Tipica) as well as Pegasus, roosters, lions, flowers and more.
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.
Many will have themes such as the duality of life and death, and the relationship of man with the natural world, but these often keep essential elements such as Adam and Eve.
His works have appeared in temporary and permanent collections in countries such as Scotland, the United States, Canada, Italy and France.
[6] The craft is best preserved in Metepec, where craftsmen have received orders from countries such as China, Japan, France, Italy and Germany with a large number going to Spain.
In 2009, the Tree of Life was trademarked for artisans from Metepec and neighboring Calimaya, befitting the approximately 300 families that dedicate themselves to making them.
Some of the peoples represented include Zapotecs, Huastecs, Purépecha, Maya, Otomi, Tarahumara Huicholes and Yaquis.
It is located on Hidalgo Street in Metepec with 95 stands that sell clay and ceramic crafts made in the municipality.
