Guadalupe Hermosillo
Escobar
Forged Iron Roof Crosses of Chiapas
  Guadalupe Hermisillo
Escobar of Chiapas preserves a fading folk art tradition by continuing
to hand forge a unique form of religious art; rooftop wrought-iron crosses.
The crosses display a wide mix of both Christian and indigenous symbols.
From a distance as
you enter San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, you can see the
uniformity of the roofs and their curved red tiles, adorned with great
crosses of iron or bronze and decorated with roosters, suns, moons, etc.
Guadalupe employs
techniques introduced by the Spaniards in the 1500s. He produces iron
crosses that are most commonly used as decorative house blessings. The
crosses were first used as a show of religious fervor and as a symbol
of the Passion of Christ during Holy Week.
Fifteen years ago,
Guadalupe turned to metalwork, focusing on the forging and hammering of
iron. His workshop is at home and with the help of family members, he
produces a great variety of decorative and utilitarian items and also
makes all the steel instruments he uses in shaping the metal.
Over the years, he
has won many awards for his work. He buys his metals (iron, tin and bronze)
by the kilogram, generally in the form of industrial waste. As his work
begins, he heats the metal in his forge, then begins to hammer it over
the appropriate shaped anvil with mallets and hammers of different shapes.
This is a slow process but eventually Guadalupe wins the battle over the
metal and it takes on a new shape.
There is increasing
pressure on the herreros, or traditional ironworkers, to forge
crosses that fit the tastes of the tourist trade. Crosses can still be
seen on roofs of San Cristóbal, Chiapas. House Blessing (Cruces
de Casa) is still used throughout Latin America, where the protection
of home, family, and animals is sought by means of roof crosses, which
are installed on the ridgepole at a roof-raising. Among the Zinacantan
of Chiapas, Mexico, the crosses of various materials are adorned or replaced
periodically, an event which is part of a larger religious celebration. They are placed on the roofs
of tiled houses, jammed into a cross-beam through the tiles and indicated
a family of faith and a belief in a protective power over the house. They
are also seen on local church
steeples, water springs, town entrances and many other local sites.
 Humans have
always used symbols as instruments of knowledge and as means of expression.
One of our most persistent and ancient symbols is that of the Cross, which
is both the classic cosmic symbol and the symbol of universal man. Its
vertical line is considered male and spiritual; its horizontal line, female
and earthly. It is the symbol of duality and the union of opposites.
The two basic cross
shapes are the Greek, with arms of equal length, and the Roman, with the
bottom of the vertical line elongated. Variations of the Greek and Roman
crosses can be found throughout Latin America.
 The Indians
of the Americas used the Greek-style cross to represent the sun, the morning
star and the four directions. It was their principal cosmological symbol,
and it remains so today. Many of the Indian crosses contain combinations
of old and new symbols, such as the sacred squash blossom motif, the dragonfly,
and the swastika. Among the Maya, the cross is a symbol of Quetzalcoatl,
in whose arms were birds and plants representing the four seasons, thus
associating the cross with the Tree of Life.
If you are interested
in learning more about the iron crosses of Chiapas, the book "Spirit
of Chiapas: The Expressive Art of the Roof Cross Tradition" (hardcover)
is an excellent reference. The book is by Virginia Ann Guest.
 Guadalupe also makes
utilitarian items such as knives, farm implements, fittings for draft
animals all made of wrought iron. He is a featured artist in the landmark
book "The Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art" published by Fomento
Cultural Banamex.
Contact information:
Av. de la Jardinera 12
Col. Jardines del Valle
San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas
967 678 6631
museodemetalisteria@hotmail.com
Or contact Marianne
Carlson at (from the US) 01152 376 765 7485 or email
marianne carlson@gmail.com.
Following is information more
information on Guadalupe.
Guadalupe
Hermosillo and The Art of Metal
Guadalupe Hermosillo
has been dedicated to the Art of Metal, or as he says the Art of Metal
forged in living fire, for over 20 years now. Originally from the state
Tapachula, where he was born on the 12th of December 1962, Chiapas,
Mexico, he has been living for many years now in his adoptive city San
Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.
Through a lot of effort and the dedication of all those years of work,
Guadalupe Hermosillo has experimented with the fire to give the metal
different shades of colour, from the colour intense blue, the silvery
white, gold, red to other colours.
In this way he has succeeded in elaborating pieces of art of great artistic
value, with what he has participated in important competitions and has
represented himself in the diverse levels of The Art of metal.
He has won a variety of first prices, like the prestige “Fray
Bartolomé de las Casas 2002”, the ultimate reward that
the state of Chiapas only grants to an outstanding artist.
Guadalupe Hermosillo His Tools & Fomento Cultural Banamex
Fomento Cultural
BANAMEX, which is an institution of the renowned bank Banamex in Mexico,
has for the overall achievements of Guadalupe Hermosillo, registered
him in the book “Los Grandes Maestros del Arte Popular en México,”
“The Great Masters of the Popular Art en Mexico.”
This institution
has also made it possible that Guadalupe Hermosillo was granted to participate
in a course about the process and the elaboration of The Art of metal
in may 2003, in Sacramento California in the United States of America
where he represented the state of Chiapas and explained his work.
Guadalupe Hermosillo is aware about the importance of preserving, making
it more known and innovating The Art of metal and because of it he has
shared his knowledge by giving courses in different states in Mexico,
in which he especially reached out to the youth.
San
Cristóbal de las Casas - The History of
The Art of Metal
The Art of metal started in 1548;
founded by a group of artists in the neighbourhood “El Cerrillo”,
part of the district of San Cristóbal de las Casas. In this place
we can actually still find on the roofs of the house and churches the
ancient crosses. Also on the wooden doors we can appreciate the door
locks, padlocks and doorknockers made by using the Art of metal.
In the colonial city of Chiapa de Corzo, founded by the Spanish, The
Art of Metal also existed, which we can still value on the roofs of
some ancient houses, most of all seen in the neighbourhood “Ribera
de Cupia” of this district.
The pieces most representative of The Art of Metal are the crosses with
different designs and shapes with all kinds of symbols that represent
the passion of Christ, like the sun, the moon, the pigeon, the rooster,
the spear, the heart, the nail, the hammer, the tweezers, the ladder,
the balance, the Sunday flower, the chalice, the snake and leaves of
plants. Other pieces are the padlocks in the form of a bat, squirrel,
fish, and so on. Furthermore the doorknockers in the shape of a dog,
crocodile, bull, eagle. Door locks for wooden doors and elaborate pieces
like native metal sculptures, the Last Supper and the crocodile.
Crosses of the passion
of Christ - Concurso Angelito
Although it were the Spanish who
introduced Catholicism and therefore the symbol of the cross to Mexico,
it were the persons who wrought the iron in living fire in the centuries
to come who improved the technique, the design and the symbols of the
crosses more and more.
At first the crosses had very plain designs and where located on the
roofs of the houses to protect the house and its habitants of evil,
but when the wealth of Mexico started to grow rapidly, the people aspired
crosses of more defined designs. Very soon afterwards the crosses of
the passion of Christ, with the symbols that referred to the life and
passion of Christ, were born.
Despite the effort of a lot of smiths, there was a time when this craftsmanship
was fading away, until Guadalupe Hermosillo collected all the pieces
of knowledge that were left and with all his concentration, energy and
willpower gave new life to the crosses of the passion of Christ.
The crosses of the passion of Christ of Guadalupe Hermosillo reflect
the person who and how he is and for that reason you can find in his
work the perfection and passion of himself. It’s not an exaggeration
to say that Guadalupe Hermosillo puts his soul into everything he does.
Furthermore; in his work you can find the devotion he feels for his
family, his opinion of the world up to the advice he gives to everyone
who wants to receive it.
For example, some of his crosses of the passion of Christ have 2 hearts
accompanied by little puppets stamped into one of the iron bars. It’s
his way of expressing the love he feels for his wife and the importance
he holds of family. An other example is the attention he draws to the
good and the evil in the world hidden in the details of the crosses,
like the direction of the dove, the laughing sun or moon, a snake who
has a butterfly in his mouth, the symbols located on the spear, the
balance which is hinging more to the left, the side of evil, or to the
right, the side of good.
Guadalupe Hermosillo almost never gives out detailed information about
his intentions, because his opinion is that everyone has to find it
out for him or herself, but every cross has beside the normal symbolism,
also a “secret message”.
What the crosses of the passion of Christ furthermore distinguish is
that every cross has something different in the centre, like a small
cross of the passion of Christ, an angel, a chalice, a kneeling praying
angel, a butterfly, Jesus or Maria, what again adds to the exquisite
characteristics of these pieces of art.
Crosses
of the passion of Christ - Explication of the symbols
1 –
The Dove: The dove
represents peace and the Holy Spirit. In some crosses the dove is facing
to the left in others to the right. This contradiction depends on how
Guadalupe Hermosillo sees the world at the moment he makes the cross.
If the dove is looking to the left, Guadalupe Hermosillo tells us, that
evil is more represented than good. If the dove is looking to the right,
the equilibrium is moved to the side of good. In this way Guadalupe
Hermosillo gives us his opinion of the world and expresses the worries
or contentment he feels.
2 – The Tweezers: The tweezers which were used
to take out the nails in the hands and feet of Christ before he was
lowered from the cross.
3 – The Moon: The moon represents the obscurity
which started when Christ died. In some crosses the moon has a concealed
smile. Also in this way Guadalupe Hermosillo tries to focus attention
to the danger of evil. Not so much to the devil or evil spirits, but
to the evil which is to be found in every human being.
4 – The Crown/Resplendence: The crown and radiance
of Christ. Also the symbol of the divine light.
5 –The Sun: The sun, with or without smile, expresses
what happened during the day, like the crucifixion and the stabbing
of Christ with the spear. In spite of these events the sun also represents
hope.
6 – The Hammer: The hammer which was used to
hammer the nails into the hands and feet of Christ during the crucifixion.
7 – The Rooster: The rooster who crowed when
Peter said for the third time that he didn’t know Christ and in
this way betrayed Christ.
8 –The Ladder: The ladder which was used to lower
Christ from the cross.
9 – The Butterfly: The butterfly in Mexico refers
to Eva, the feminine and rebirth, because only a woman can give birth
to new life. In some crosses the snake, the symbol of evil, has a butterfly
in his mouth. This expresses the believe that evil controls women and
so gives responsibility of the evil in the world to the feminine. This
thought comes directly from the Bible in which Eva seduces Adam to eat
from the forbidden fruit, the apple, and in this way made way for evil
to enter the hearts of people.
10 – The Snake: The snake is the symbol of evil
and seduction. In some crosses the snake is rolled up like a little
ball, in others it’s stretch out. The difference is that when
a snake is rolled up, it’s more dangerous, because all of its
energy is focused and ready to strike. Guadalupe Hermosillo tells up
that a time of reconsideration of life is recommendable. When the snake
is stretched out, danger is not that prominent, but it’s always
wise to have precaution.
11 – The Heart: The heart of Christ, which represents
love, mercy and virtue.
12 – The Spear: The spear on the crosses of the
passion of Christ reflects the spear the centurion Longinus used to
stab Christ. This symbol doesn’t only have a negative meaning,
because according to ancient stories, Longinus was almost blind and
when he stabbed Christ a drop of blood fell in his eyes, restoring his
sight completely.
13 – The Leaves of Palm Sunday: The leaves of
Palm Sunday send out the message that people have to investigate the
strength of their faith.
14 – The Balance: The Balance or in other words,
justice, refers to the good and the evil and to judgement day.
Trees of
Life
From the moment
the Spanish put their feet firmly onto Mexico soil, the tree of life
also started to take root in the culture of the Mexicans and although
many centuries have past since the Spanish came to the “New Land”,
the tree of life keeps playing a part in the lives of the Mexicans.
Although the original trees of life originated in Persia in which the
4 seasons were found, the tree of life of Mexico has had his own development.
Guadalupe Hermosillo has played an important part in how it has developed
and his trees of life distinguish themselves because of the design,
the exquisite details and the exceptional quality. In the trunks and
branches of the trees of lives of Guadalupe Hermosillo you can find
all kinds of animals, births, apples, the snake, birth nests and more,
all with their own symbolic meaning, which not only have their base
in Catholicism, but also in the ancient cultures which are part of the
rich and divers culture of Mexico.
Like the crosses of the passion of Christ, the trees of live are divided
into 2 sides. The left, which represents the feminine and the right,
which represents the masculine.
Trees of Life - Explication
of the Symbols
The Snake: In
the tree of life the snake represents evil. Many times the head of
the snake is located close to the new life that can be found in the
birth nest, because from the moment someone or something is born,
evil is trying to influence it.
The Eagle: This symbol has different meanings. Looking
at it from Catholicism the eagle is the symbol of John the Baptist,
like the attribute of the prophet Elias and Christ resurrected. Looking
at it from the culture of the Mayas and the Aztecs the eagle expresses
characteristics of great strength and of being a powerful leader.
Furthermore the eagle is part of the national symbol of Mexico.
The Ape: The Ape reflects the evolution of mankind.
In the Christian iconography it’s the symbol of insolence and
negative pride. For this reason Guadalupe Hermosillo locates the ape
lots of times on the lower branches of the tree of life. For the Mayas
the ape represents the God of Dance and people born underneath this
symbol had great possibilities of becoming an exceptional artist or
dancer.
The flying Goose: A personal joke of Guadalupe Hermosillo,
because he believes that people worry too much about what has no importance
in life, like geese do. In spite of this, the fact that the goose
is flying, reflects the hope of Guadalupe Hermosillo that everyone
has the willpower to change his or her destiny and that everyone’s
actions can reflect the strength of the person inside.
The Stork: The bird of luck, because if feeds itself
with snakes and therefore absorbs evil. The stork also refers to Christ
and his disciples.
The Bird of Paradise: The symbol of tranquillity,
prosperity and happiness.
The Mouse: The mice are the symbol of the soul.
The Cat:
Although in other cultures the cat has profound meanings,
like in the ancient Egyptian culture, in the culture of Mexico it
doesn’t express something fundamental.
The Squirrel: In the mythology of Europe a squirrel
can be found with the name of Ratatoskr, who without stopping climbed
up and down the tree, between an eagle who lived in the top branches
and a giant dragon who lived at the root of the tree. The squirrel
was malicious and always changed the words of the eagle and the dragon
and so planted seeds of great conflict. In the trees of live of Guadalupe
Hermosillo the dragon is converted into a snake, but the squirrel
still remains like in Catholicism the symbol of the devil. For this
reason Guadalupe Hermosillo puts in his trees an eagle who is about
to grab a squirrel with its sharp nails.
The Dove: Symbol of peace and the Holy Spirit.
The Apple: Symbol of the seduction of evil. In the
trees of life the apples also reflect the idea that people should
caution themselves with their words and actions and withhold themselves
from evil.
In the trees of live, like in the crosses of the passion of Christ,
Guadalupe Hermosillo hides “secret messages” to express
his love for his family and his passion for his work. In addition
one can find in the details his opinion of life and his thoughts about
the world, like an animal that can be found twice, but is located
on the left side of the tree higher than on the right.
Padlocks
and Doorknockers
From the moment
the Spanish ships arrived on the shores of Mexico and they started
to build roads and construct house and churches, the wooden doors
were ornamented with padlocks and doorknockers. At first the designs
were simple, like the padlock Cantera, but when time past they changed
into works of arts. Lots of times they had shapes of an animal, everyone
with his own symbolic meaning.
Because Mexico is a conglomeration of various cultures, the padlocks
and doorknockers in shape of an animal had meanings based on different
cultures. Good examples are the padlocks in shape of a fish, a symbol
that comes from Catholicism and represents faith and the doorknockers
in shape of a dog that got their meaning from the Mayan culture. These
doorknockers are the symbol of the rich, because the Mayas ate dogs
and the person who had a lot of dogs, had a lot to eat and must therefore
be rich.
Although the meanings of the symbols of the padlocks and doorknockers
have lost a lot of their importance, the work of Guadalupe Hermosillo
takes us back to the past when a key is inserted in a lock to set
the mechanism to work or when the rustic sound is heard of a doorknocker.
Examples of Padlocks
Even though
the padlocks and doorknockers had profound meanings, they also had
a more practical function. In the centuries 15 up to 19 there were
a lot of people who couldn’t read or write and the padlocks
and doorknockers helped them to see who was living in a house. A doorknocker
in the form of an ape told them that they came to the house of an
artist. An eagle for example ornamented the house of someone important.
Examples
of Doorknockers
Up to this day
one can find padlocks and doorknockers on the doors of the Mexican
houses and because of the effort of Guadalupe Hermosillo the padlocks
and doorknockers keep playing a role in the culture of Mexico.
If you would like more information or are interested in The Art of
Metal of Guadalupe Hermosillo, please contact the Museum.
Directions of
the Museum:
Avenida de la Jardinera No. 12
Col. Jardines del Valle
(Aún Costado de la Col. Sector Salud)
San Cristóbal de Las Casas
C.P. 29286, Chiapas, México
Tel: (52)9676786631
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