ART AND CRAFTS

This is one of the most important displays of traditional and popular culture in which art and practicality come together. For this reason, it has been defined as the coming together of handwork and the transformation of natural materials to create useful objects, following traditional models and having an aesthetic value in many cases.

In Murcia's case, knowing its craftwork tradition is knowing one of its most important characteristics.

The craftwork which currently brings most fame to Murcia and some of its nearby towns is that of the nativity scene.

Murcia has been considered as the cradle of the Spanish Nativity Scene since, in the 17th century, the ingenious Murcian sculptor Francisco Salzillo made a magnificent 500-piece nativity scene. This work of art was made at the request of his friend and patron Jesualdo Riquelme and is kept today in the museum bearing the name of the sculptor. Salzillo united the Castillian tradition of the Christian birth scene with that of Naples, taught by his father, who was born in that city. Since then, the nativity scene or "Belén" has been deeply rooted in the region. In Murcia, there are mainly three types of nativity scene made: the "Salzillesco" or Baroque, the Jewish -dressed according to the time of the scene- and the Popular or "fried egg Belén", brightly coloured and close to the "naif" style. They are made in the city centre, in Puente Tocinos and in Santiago el Mayor.

In the city museum, a room has been dedicated to the "Belén" in which a craftsman's workshop has been recreated.

Another typically Murcian display was the papier maché tradition for making toys. Using an empty mould system, strips of cardboard or paper were stuck with flour and water paste, dried in the sun and decorated. The toys most typically made in this way were bulls, horses with wheels or rocking horses, etc.

Another art derived from this tradition and updated for modern demands is that of making the floats which are brought out in the festive processions: Entierro de la Sardina, Bando de la Huerta, Moros y Cristianos and other processions and parades both inside and outside of the city. Decorative cardboard figures for sale and for theatre groups are also made.

The art of decorating fans, embroidered or hand-painted, is also maintained. In the same way, there are craftsmen who have kept up the practice of making traditional furniture from the Huerta of Murcia, and thanks to them we can still see wonderful plate racks, spice racks, etc.


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