What is it?
It is a form of pottery, of great tradition in the country for its delicate and laborious handmade manufacture. The colors used in its decoration are usually yellow, blue, green, black, mauve and orange. Each piece is fully handmade on a lathe and some pieces of glass contain tin and lead as they have existed since the Virreinal era.
Where is the appellation of origin located?
The appellation of origin derived from “Artisan ceramics” is manufactured by tradition in the municipalities of “San Pablo del Monte” in the south of “Tlaxcala” and in the districts of Axlico, Puebla, Cholula and Tecali de Herrera in the state of Puebla.The appellation of origin for this place was granted in 1995 as “Talavera de Puebla” or “Talavera Poblana” made this to differentiate it from the “Talavera Española”.
If you live near the state of Guanajuato, you can also find such items on the outskirts of San Miguel de Allende, near the spa area.
What is Talavera made of?
Talavera is a ceramic spice called “Majolica” which has arisen since the sixteenth century, and is the name given to the type of decoration on sloping, then a lead and tin base is placed and finally decorated with various types of oxide on the previous base. This is a mixture of Chinese, Italian, Spanish and indigenous ceramic techniques.
What is its origin?
The origin of these sins is located in China, later their designs were taken to the “Iberian Peninsula”, from there it spread to the rest of Europe. After the Spanish conquest, high-income families aspired to have a porcelain or tarza crockery for the late journey it required.
How can we use them?
They are used as household utensils, for the kitchen we can find dishes, vases, tibores, vases, sinks, religious items and decorative figures. There are also pieces that are used as tiles and that have been part of the decoration in beautiful buildings of Mexico City, such as “La Casa de los Azulejos”, which is a palace built in the eighteenth century.
Other uses that can be given to the Talavera are:
-Floors
-Patios.
-Stairs.
-Sources.
-Door and window frames.
Does it have a specific painting technique?
Yes, talavera pieces are made by expert artisans, usually with blue and white decoration, yellow, black, green, orange and pale violet.
Here the two techniques that develop:
-Feathering: It consists of using cobalt blue. Since for this type of decoration there is no pattern to follow and the designs arise from the creativity of the artisans, but still, this technique requires great practice and experience.
-Decorated “in color”: In this technique some drawings already established previously are used, it is made by means of patterns that are made in “butter paper” as we call it in Mexico, and which with the help of dust and charcoal allows to establish the guide of the designs.
There are now many color options, as there are 15 shades of colors currently used. For the application of color, the brushes are made with wood and ponytail hair.
Where can you find the best Talavera?
Currently there are certified areas that can and are allowed to call their works “Talavera”, this certification is given to them “The regulatory council of the Talavera” and in Puebla only nine workshops have been certified:
Talavera Uriate.
Talaera La Reyna.
Talavera Celia.
Talavera Armando.
Talavera Santa Catarina.
Talaera de la Nueva España.
Talavera de la Luz.
Talavera de las Américas.
Talavera Virgilio Pérez.
These stores go through an inspection in their processes and the parts are tested by internationally certified laboratories. They are also tested so that the parts do not contain enough lead to be harmful. Certified parts must have a workshop logo, a special hologram and the potter’s signature.
[…] by mexican hands, as a rich culture we have some rebozos, wallets, and for the house we also have Talavera art, but now we want to focus on this beautiful: Palm-woven leaf handicrafts from Oaxaca […]