Talavera Pottery

Talavera is the oldest tin-glazed pottery in the America’s It is a type of majolica earthenware, a white, glazed type of ceramic. The production of tiles and ceramic ware in Puebla, started almost immediately after the city was established in 1531. Spanish monks from the Santo Domingo Monastery in Puebla imported craftsmen from Talavera de la Reina to teach the indigenous people of the region how to work the clay to create pieces similar to those produced in Spain. The monks were interested in decorating monasteries and churches with tiles and religious figures.

The indigenous people of Mexico were already accomplished potters and had a long tradition of producing earthenware. However, they did not use the potter’ wheel, nor did they tin-glaze their pottery, which is one of the main characteristics of majolica ceramic.

In time, a potter’s gild was formed and ordinances were established. Today 16 workshops in Puebla are now officially recognized and protected by the government of Mexico. The Talavera produced by these official craftsmen must follow the complex technical process based on the original dating from the 16^th century. The clay must come from one of the approved sites in the Puebla area. Authentic Talavera ceramics must be signed at the base by the workshop that produces it and it must state that it is from Puebla.

The basic process for making Talavera has remained the same since the 16^th century, though there have been changes in the shapes and styles of decoration. Talavera pottery is made with two kinds of clay, a dark clay and a light, slightly rose-colored clay. Both of these clays come from the state of Puebla. These two clays are mixed together, strained and kneaded. Each item is modeled by hand, turned on the wheel or pressed in a mold. The pieces are then left to dry from 50-90 days. Once dry, the pieces go through an initial firing and then are hand-dipped in a glaze to create the white background of the design. Stencil designs are dusted on with charcoal powder. Finally each piece is hand-painted and the fired a second time at a higher temperature.

Talavera earthenware is a fusion of Arabic, Italian and Chinese influences. The earliest pieces, with cobalt blue designs on a white background, are typically Moorish. The term “majolica” is Italian and refers to the 14^th century Italian technique of applying or brushing pigments on raw and unfired glaze. Gradually other colors, such as green, black, and yellow, were introduced from Italy in the 17^th century. Chinese porcelain imports, common in both Spain and Mexico, inspired floral and animal designs.

Originally only the color blue was used to decorate Talavera ceramics.. The mineral pigment needed to produce this color was expensive and precious and so enhanced the quality of the pottery. During the 17^th and 18^th centuries Talavera artisans began to create more elaborate designs by using a variety of colors. Talavera can be distinguished from imitations by the raised design and high gloss of the surface finish.

Talavera is not limited to the production of dinnerware, decorative jars and religious figures. Azulejos Tiles were used to decorate the facades and cupolas of buildings and became the quintessential element of Puebla’s Baroque architecture. Owning a Casa de Azulejos or a house of tile became very desirable.

Authentic Talavera

In 1997 the State of Puebla obtained the Denomination of Origin stating that only the pottery produced in the geographical region of the State of Puebla and that followed the standards set by the Consejo Regulador de la Talavera (Regulating Council of Talavera) could be called Talavera. In order to be certified official Talavera workshops have to pass an inspection and verification process every six months.

Guidelines established by Consejo Regulador de la Talavera

· Talavera is a type of original ceramic exclusive to the "Talavera Zone" (Atlixco, Cholula, Puebla and Tecali, all in the geographical region of the State of Puebla), whose characteristics have their origins in the Spanish majolica.

· The black and white clays used to create Talavera pottery must be obtained from natural deposits in the Talavera Zone.

· The pottery must be hand-formed, hand thrown using clay from the designated region. The clay must be of a consistency that does not allow pouring into molds. Molds can be used only if the clay is pressed into them.

· Talavera must contain a tin and lead glaze base following the formula used in Colonial times.

· This glaze must craze and should be slightly porous.

· The glaze base must not be pure white. Its coloring should have undertones that go from Pantone 482C, 467C to 1C light gray.

· The pottery must be hand painted using only the six traditional mineral pigments: blue, green, yellow, red, brown and black. By combining these colors different tones of blue are achieved as well as an orange and purple color. The pigments must be made at the workshop following long-established formulas.

· The painting must fuse into the glazing having a subtle, sort of blurred appearance. The blue and/or yellow details can have a bas-relief look.

· Authentic Talavera has a handmade appearance, meaning it doesn't look "machine made perfect". Irregularities are characteristic and desirable (such as the crazing of the glaze).