Talavera Pottery....

I am of Mexican descent, and obviously have a love for the desert southwest, so this could be partly the reason I just adore authentic Talavera pottery. As I have mentioned before, though I live in Sunny Florida, my home, front and back yard are anything but typical Florida...my home was built by a California contractor, so it's not typical at all for this area. The backyard is solid imported Mexican Saltillo tile, including the surrounding leading into the in-the-ground spa, with inlays of Talavera smaller tiles. The parameters of the tiled area is all tropicals, mostly palms, plumeria, orchids, and heliconia interwoven with numerous ceramic pots  ranging in every size, color and shape - I have an obsession with these things, seriously! And, this time of the year, HomeGoods has the largest selection you could ever want imagine.  Though my landscaping is totally tropical, my Lanai, also has Saltillo tile which is southwest in nature, with several pieces of Talavera pottery. So, when I need that "get-away" feeling and time to relax outdoors, that is where I go. Sit out there listen to the birds and enjoy the warm tropical breezes - unless it's mid August and I'm in the spa, with no heat! There is something so warm and beautiful about Talavera with their rich vibrant colors that makes one feel happy. For me, it definitely reminds me of Mexico or my trips to Southern California. It blends well in a tropical landscaping, especially in my yard. Though I've been growing my tropicals for years, and I can't get enough, especially palm trees, I cannot grow annual or perennial flowers for anything...I don't know why, just can't, it's really quite sad, so these beautiful colors in the Talavera help spice up my yard with color where flowers probably should be.

No matter the style of your home, Talavera would fit in as an accent piece, for that unique or even eclectic touch.  I've included a few pieces I've found online, the variety and designs are so numerous to count....

Talavera obtained through a website.

Talavera is a type of majolica earthenware, a white and glazed type of ceramic.  Although the Spaniards introduced this type of pottery, ironically the term Talavera is used much more in Mexico than in Talavera de la Reina, Spain.

In fact, Talavera is the oldest tin-glazed ceramic in America and it is still being manufactured with the same techniques as in the 16^th Century.

Puebla not only was the second most important city in Mexico, after the country’s capital Mexico City, it was the most important earthenware center of the Nueva España, which was the name of Mexico in Colonial times.

The production of tiles and ceramic ware in Puebla started almost immediately the city was established in 1531.  Thanks to the abundance of quality clay in the region and to the splendor of the arts at that time in Puebla, in a short time the Talavera Poblana achieved such quality and beauty that it was soon exported to the rest of the continent.

There are several theories about its origin in Mexico, but the most accepted explanation is that Spanish monks from the Santo Domingo monastery in Puebla sent for craftsmen from Talavera de la Reina to teach the indigenous people of the region how to work the clay so they could create pieces similar to the ones produced in Spain.  They wanted to decorate with tiles and religious sculptures their monastery and church.

The indigenous people of Mexico were very accomplished potters and already had a very long tradition producing earthenware.  But they did not know how to use the potter’s wheel or tin-glaze their pottery, which is one of the main characteristics of the majolica ceramic. Other versions state that the Dominican friars were the ones that knew how to produce this type of ceramic and that they were the ones that taught the Indians how to do it.

The truth is there are documents that record the presence of several craftsmen from Talavera de la Reina in Puebla during the 16^th Century, which established their workshops to produce tiles and ceramic wares. It was a very profitable business since there were so many churches and monasteries being built.

In time, a potter’s gild was formed and Ordinances were laid down, that all of the potters that wished to produce Talavera had to follow. This was done so that the quality of the ceramics called Talavera was uniform and that this earthenware had a distinctive style and excellence.

Some of the rules established by the Ordinances were:    The color blue was to be used on the finest ceramic. This was so because the mineral pigments needed to produce this color were very expensive.  The customer could then easily distinguish the quality of fine ceramic from one of lesser quality.
  

    To avoid falsifications each master potter had to sign or mark his products. 

    Three types of earthenware were to be produced depending on the quality of the pieces: Fine, Semi fine, and for Daily use.

    Yearly there were to be examinations that the craftsmen had to pass in order to be considered master potters.