Car Transporting Jesus, Mary and the Three Kings
by The Ortega Family, Tonalá
Jalisco, Mexico
clay, pigment
6.5” high x 10” long x 5” wide
The Ortega family has been working in betus clay for generations. The betus clay is known as Ceramica Fantastica because of the use of bright colors in its creation. But its name comes from the oil bath it receives from a resin extracted from the pine tree (betus) before being fired. The origin of betus clay descends from colonial times and is surrounded by myths.
Santa Cruz de las Huertas, a suburb of Tonalá, Jalisco, is known as the main producer of betus clay articles. In their design you will find roosters, coyotes, owls, and other figures including trees of life, all made with a sense of fun and bright colors. Santa Cruz de las Huertas is the only town that makes barro betus, one of the seven traditional ceramic techniques for which it is known.
Eleuterio Ortega López, the fourth generation of his family to work with barro betus, learned his trade from his father, Eleuterio Ortega Hernández, and his grandmother, Natividad Hernández. The family is known for their figures in the shapes of birds, animals, processional figures, and surrealistic creatures. Their most popular pieces are the nahual figures painted in bright colors and are reputed to come from a magical world.
