These pictures are of trees displayed at the National Museum of Popular Arts in downtown Mexico City.
This traditional tree shows Adam and Eve and the serpent.
Several trees, large and small
This imaginative sculpture is a tree of "mole poblano", the famous Mexican culinary creation. It is decorated with the pottery and utensils of a traditional Puebla kitchen and the many ingredients used in the recipe.
This tree is covered with miniature representations of handicrafts from all over Mexico.
This one shows traditional dancers from different regions of the country.
There has been fear that the craft is in danger of extinction because of cheap imitations from Asia. In 2009 the federal government trademarked the Tree of Life for the artisans of Metepec to preserve the authenticity of these sculptures.
I have always wanted to buy one, but good ones are very expensive, and trying to transport one home would be a nightmare.
They are extraordinary and beautiful, but obviously not built with the souvenir-seeking tourist in mind. Perhaps that is part of their beauty. If given one, I would be stumped to even know where to put it. And I'd certainly be afraid to ever polish it!
ReplyDeleteI would have to put it in a glass case where it wouldn't be accidentally knocked over. Mexican pottery is so fragile. The last time I was in Oaxaca I bought a bunch of black pottery, and had the items shipped home. The small pieces that I bought as gifts all made it intact, but the 2 larger pieces that I bought for the house were reduced to crumbs. Fortunately, the Oaxaca black pottery, although very beautiful, is incredibly cheap. Even the two larger pieces didn't cost much more than twenty dollars each.
DeleteMost of the clay pottery is not fired, especially the Trees of Life. Hence, their fragility. They are sun fired. To ship them, they need to be wrapped in bubble wrap and encased in sawdust. Well, that's how I used to ship them to the States. Maybe they have a better way now.
ReplyDeleteI used to collect Trees of Life but only if I could meet the artisan and watch their process. Back then they were so inexpensive that it was unbelievable. I've been to meet the Great Masters, who weren't even known as that when I met them. Hard to believe the amount of work and artistry in each piece. Last year I sold quite a bit of my folkart including many pieces from Metepec. I still have the wonderful memories of the acquisition without the need to maintain the pieces. Thanks for such a lovely post.
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And thank you for your interesting comment. I have quite a collection of Mexican handicrafts and art also... not high price tag stuff, but not "tourist junk" either. The one piece that is expensive and definitely a work of art is a beautiful "alebrije" that I bought outside of Oaxaca a few years ago. It's not one of the cheap, gaudy carvings that you see so often, but a small bear, painted in shades of white, gray and brown. The designs on the bear are so intricate and tiny that I swear that the artist must have used a brush with one bristle! And since it is made of wood, I didn't have to worry about breakage. I treasure it, and I think that the next time I go to Oaxaca I will go to the same workshop and splurge on another similar piece.
DeleteI have a very large and heavy tree of life my parents purchased in Mexico in the late sixties or seventies. It doesn't feel like clay like the more modern. Could I send you a picture? Maybe you could tell me something about it?
ReplyDeleteIf it is heavy, it is most likely made from clay. I have not heard of "Trees of Life" being made of any other material, and given its age, it is most certainly a traditional piece. From what I have read, the "Trees of LIfe" first appeared in the 1950s as potters moved from making utilitarian pottery to more decorative pieces with an eye to the tourist trade. Is it the traditional Adam and Eve motif? I don't know when the artists started branching out and doing other themes.
DeleteIt's Adam and Eve and the serpent. Can I send a photo?
ReplyDeleteI don't give out my email address here on the blog, but if you give me your address here in the comments section, I will then send you mine so that you can send a photo. (I will immediately delete your comment so that your address is not here for the public to see.) I am an aficionado of Mexican handicrafts, but I do not claim to be an expert by any means. I do not know how much information I could provide. Do you know where your parents bought the Tree of Life?
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