Oh Talavera, How Pretty You Are

I'm starting a new category on this blog entitled, "Things I love about Mexico." To kickstart it, I'm going to talk about one of my favorite art forms here: talavera.

Talavera is a term used to describe hand-painted pottery made in Mexico. Its origins date back to the 16th century, when Spanish artists arrived in Mexico. They brought with them the pottery wheel and a tin-based glaze. The indigenous people in Mexico already had a long history of making pottery, and they took what the Spanish brought and combined it with their own techniques. The result was beautifully hand-painted tiles and dishes. Today, this art form is known around the world as Mexican talavera.

The process of making talavera has hardly changed since the 16th century. Potters begin by mixing two types of clay together: a dark one and a light, rose-colored one. Both types come from the central state of Puebla. The clay mixture is soaked in water to improve its quality. It is then strained and the impurities are removed. This step reduces the clay's volume by about 50 percent.

Next, the potter shapes the clay by using his hands, molds, or a wheel. The pieces are left to dry for 8 to 12 weeks, and then baked in a kiln.

After that, the pottery pieces are dipped in a glaze that will give them a shiny white finish. Artists then paint different designs on each piece. Traditionally, talavera pottery has a blue-and-white pattern; over the years, however, more colors have been added. Once painted, the pieces are fired a second time. The finished items are then sold.

Talavera is produced in a number of regions in Mexico. The finest pieces come from the city of Puebla, which is just two hours from Mexico City.

During my time in Mexico, I have collected a number of pieces of talavera, and am always looking for more to add to my collection (this often happens when Mike travels down to Puebla, and brings me back surprises!! Thanks sweetie!). The picture above is part of a talavera tea set that was given to us as a wedding gift. Here are a few other pieces that I own...

This plate was a surprise gift from Mike. It hangs on my kitchen wall...


Also in the kitchen, I have a talavera piece that holds our drinking water...


And one of my all-time favorites - another surprise present from Mike...