The Juan Hernandez family's making of the clay Trees of Life follows a traditional practice in Metepec that has continued for centuries; this form developed from decorative candlesticks and is now one of the area's most sought-after ceramic crafts. Dylan Hernandez made this lovely tree.
Each flower, butterfly, and figure is hand-molded separately, then individually wired onto the main trunk before the entire piece is fired and painted; it takes dozens of small pieces to complete one tree.
It follows the traditional version of the Genesis narrative, the format having been designed to tell that story; God is at the top, holding the world in his hands, with a sun and a moon on either side, each featuring a small painted face, and just below that an angel is raising a sword over the garden; Adam and Eve are situated in the centre amongst the roses, while the animals of Eden make up the remainder, an elephant, a giraffe, a zebra, a rabbit and a mouse being placed among the leaves and blossoms, together with butterflies scattered all over the picture to give it a softer appearance.
This is a genuine arbol de la vida, an example of Mexican folk art from one of the prominent ceramic families of Metepec, full of detail and made entirely by hand.
