Talavera Figures for Day of the Dead Collectors

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Talavera Figures are the perfect home accent for those who appreciate the old-world craftsmanship of Talavera pottery in a popular Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) design. You’ll find that each meticulously handmade Day of the Dead figure comes from Dolores Hidalgo, Mexico, and embodies all the colorful charm of Mexican Talavera which you love!

Talavera Catrina Ballerina

Talavera Figures are the perfect home accent for those who appreciate the old-world craftsmanship of Talavera pottery in a popular Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) design. You’ll find that each meticulously handmade Day of the Dead figure comes from Dolores Hidalgo, Mexico, and embodies all the colorful charm of Mexican Talavera which you love!

Nearly two dozen high-quality Talavera Figures are readily available for purchase from our online store. If you’re enthralled withCatrinas, then you’re sure to find one to add to your collection today! Some of our personal favorites are the Day of the Dead Ballerina Figures which are available in two sizes. The large Ballerina’s feature an adjustable and removable head and stand over 21” tall. Each unique and vibrant figure is richly painted in classic Talavera motifs.

If a Day of the Dead Skull is more up your alley, then check out our three different high-quality Talavera Skulls. Each skull is festively decorated with butterflies or flowers and is the perfect size to display on a desk or bookshelf.

For those with a sense of humor, you may enjoy our Day of the Dead Donkey or Day of the Dead Chameleon. As with all of our Talavera selections, each figure is meticulously handmade for years and years of enjoyment. Since each figure is handmade, please keep in mind that colors and designs may vary slightly, which in our opinion just adds to the charm of your new collectible!

La Fuente offers one of the largest selections of Day of the Dead collectibles online. You’ll find Day of the Dead Figures Under $20; Paper Mache Figures; Day of the Dead Tiles and even T-Shirts and Home Accessories. Browse our entire Day of the Dead product line today!

Make Sure You Are Buying Authentic Talavera

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MH453a TalaveraNot all “Talavera” is created equal! With the ever-expanding growth of fake Talavera for sale in retail and online stores, make sure you are educated before investing in Talavera Plates, Pottery or Planters. Many large well-known retailers are jumping on the Talavera bandwagon and are marketing “Talavera” that is actually made of melamine (aka plastic).

All pieces of Talavera is the most outstanding of Mexico’s pottery traditions. Only natural clays are used, rather than chemically treated and dyed clays and the handcrafting process can take up to three to four months. The process is risky because a piece can break at any point. This makes Talavera three times more costly than other types of pottery. Today, only pieces made by designated areas and from workshops that have been certified are permitted to call their work “Talavera.”

Most of the Talavera Pottery offered in our online store, including all plates, platters, and place settings, is made by hand in Puebla, Mexico, and is 100% lead-free. The detail is outstanding, and due to the kiln’s high firing temperature all our Talavera dishware is also crack and chip resistant. Other items, including our Talavera Sinks, canisters, planters, and fruit bowls, come from the historic city of Dolores Hidalgo.

Article source: Wikipedia

Authentic Talavera Pottery From Mexico

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Talavera plates made in Pueblo, MexicoTalavera Ceramic is mostly used to make utilitarian items such as plates, bowls, jars, flowerpots, sinks , religious items and decorative figures. However, a significant use of the ceramic is for Talavera Tiles .

Talavera was introduced to Mexico by Spanish guild artisans of the Colonial period. Known as “majolica” in Spain, Mexican Talavera draws its name from the 16th century Spanish pottery center, Talavera de la Reina , where imagination and persistence led to enormous strides in the world’s knowledge of fine ceramics. The tradition of Talavera production has struggled since the Mexican War of Independence in the early 19th century, during which the number of workshops were less than eight in the state of Puebla. Later efforts by artists and collectors revived the craft somewhat in the early 20th century and there are now significant collections of Talavera pottery in Puebla, Mexico City and New York City. Further efforts to preserve and promote the craft have occurred in the late 20th century, with the introduction of new, decorative designs and the passage of the Denominación de Origen de la Talavera law to protect authentic, Talavera pieces made with the original, 16th-century methods.

“Travel across Mexico , and you’ll see all sorts of signs of Spanish influence that date back to the colonial era. Architecture, of course, is chief among them—but there’s also talavera. More than 300 years later, the popular style endures. The colorful ceramics are found in the form of decorative tiles adorning buildings’ exterior and interior walls (one of the most spectacular examples is the Casa de los Azulejos in Mexico City), as well as in the form of Talavera Plates , bowls, and other serving dishes found in Mexican kitchens and on dining room tables.” – The Latin Kitchen

Authentic Talavera Trays

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Talavera Snack Tray handmade in Pueblo MexicoSnacking will Never Be the Same with Our Talavera Trays – It doesn’t matter if it’s a pay-per-view boxing event, baseball game, football match, or just a good movie on television; you and I both know you are going to need something to eat. Snacking while watching TV has become somewhat of a hobby in and of itself. With that in mind, the next time you sit down in front of the tube to take in a sporting event or catch a good flick, consider snagging our Talavera snack traysas well.

Its rich detail and colorful patterns make it beautiful and unique. However, what you will probably be most interested in is the fact that some of our trays have multiples compartments for you to store a variety of your favorite snacks. This makes it perfect for storing things like chips, dip, and toppings in one convenient location. You could even serve several different types of meats, cheeses, and crackers as well. If potato chips are in order, put three varieties and some popcorn in the compartments and feast away! You could even put vegetables and some ranch dressing in there if you are one of those healthy types, we won’t complain.

The snack tray makes snacking easy and convenient, but there are other purposes it can serve too. For instance, at your next formal party, why not use snack trays to serve hors d’oeuvres? It’s elegant enough to be formal, just as much as it is playful enough to be casual. Buy two or three and outfit them nicely with your finest appetizers for guests to munch on while they wait for the main course to be served. When you’re finished, simply toss it in the dishwasher. That’s right, no need to hand wash this piece. All of our Talavera accessories are chip resistant, microwave safe, oven safe, and dishwasher safe. Also, no need to worry about lead paint that is common with some imports, our Talavera pottery is 100% lead free. Quality, beauty, and snacking convenience, our Talavera snack tray covers it all.

Made in Mexico: Talavera Serving Bowls

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Talavera Pottery Plates CareHaving its origins in Puebla Mexico, and echoing that tradition, all of the paint used in our Talavera products are 100% lead free. Originally, only vegetable dyes and all natural pigments were used. Each artisan had their own unique style and only four different pigments were allowed to be used in order for a piece to qualify as Talavera. Today, several other colors have been added and since the pallet has expanded, so has the colorful festive nature of the pieces.

Our serving bowl is a perfect complement to any type of dining room table.  If you have a minimalist table with a modern sleek design styling, this serving bowl with its punch of color would look perfect gracing the tabletop. Perhaps your design styles are more traditional in nature. If that is the case, this brightly colored festive bowl will perfectly complement the traditional flair of your dining room. You simply cannot go wrong using our Talavera serving bowl as a design element in your room.

Consider these other design ideas as well:

For your entryway. Place the serving bowl on your entryway or console table filled with potpourri to greet guests with a wonderful aroma as they enter your home. The aroma combined with the colorful presentation of the serving bowl is a wonderful way to welcome friends into your space.

Hallway table. Try filling the serving bowl with ornaments during the holiday season, or other items such as shells, or even pine cones during off seasons to create a fantastic display in your hallway. One of these bowls, positioned on a small side table at the end of a hallway, makes a great statement and also provides a fantastic focal point for the space.

Bedroom. Why not place one of these on top of your dresser, or a side reading table in your bedroom, to create a more intimate space? You could fill the bowl with dried flower potpourri and a few decorative wooden balls to ground the reading nook or crown your dresser top.

Bathroom. Place one of these on a “his and hers” vanity in your bathroom to not only divide the space, but add a little bit of dramatic flair too. You could have fun with it and put washcloths or other small toiletry items inside for guests to use during their stay. The color and functionality will make for a great accessory item in the bathroom.

You could place these in outdoor seating areas, beside your sofa on a side table, place them on your sofa table, the possibilities are truly limited only by what you can come up with. You could go off-the-cuff and fill one of the serving bowls with oranges and place it on your kitchen counter. What a great way to add a bit of color and display as well as functionality, to your kitchen! As stated before, the design options are truly limitless..

We have several different styles and patterns to choose from, so you should have no trouble finding a bowl that suits your taste and tickles your fancy. Head over to La Fuente now and make one of theseTalavera serving bowls yours today!

Coffee, Tea or Talavera?

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1340651185-tts038aCoffee, Tea or Talavera? It’s a beautiful day on the hacienda and a perfect day to bring out the good china right?  Not so fast.  No need to make your get together or tea party for the girls stuffy and overdone.  The idea is to enjoy the day with attractive and beautifully designed pieces that are not intimidating yet very elegant indeed.

If you are searching for an elegant coffee or tea set to use not only for special occasions, but also for everyday use, then try our handmade Talavera tea and coffee sets. With every set having its own unique design, you are sure to find a coffee set that you will love. These Talavera coffee/tea sets are 100% lead free, microwave safe, and won’t easily chip or crack. Each coffee set is available in a 4, 6, or 8 person setting.

Use the colorful Talavera snack trays to highlight your dining table or any serving area with authentic Mexican style! Each Talavera snack tray is handmade and hand-painted by the artisans of the Tomas Huerta studio. They are great for serving your favorite snacks and hors d’oeuvres or tea sandwiches. Be sure to view the Tomas Huerta studio plates as well to complete a table set! Each authentic snack tray includes an eyelet for wall hanging and is 100% lead free; chip resistant; and microwave, oven, and dishwasher safe and easy to store.

Other items from the Talavera Pottery category, including our Talavera sinks, canisters, planters, and fruit bowls, come from the historic city of Dolores Hidalgo. Every design is painted by hand, and all plates and platters are made with an eyelet on the back for hanging on walls. So whether for home decoration or for day-to-day use in the dining room, our extensive selection of authentic Talavera pottery is sure to make a wonderful addition to your home décor.

Authentic Talavera Pottery

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MH458aAuthentic Talavera pottery only comes from the city of Puebla and the nearby communities of Atlixco, Cholula, and Tecali, because of the quality of the natural clay found there and the tradition of production which goes back to the 16th century.  Much of this pottery was decorated only in blue, but colors such as yellow, black, green, orange and mauve have also been used.  Maiolica pottery was brought to Mexico by the Spanish in the first century of the colonial period.

Production of this ceramic became highly developed in Puebla because of the availability of fine clays and the demand for tiles from the newly established churches and monasteries in the area. The industry had grown sufficiently that by the mid-17th century, standards and guilds had been established which further improved the quality, leading Puebla into what is called the “golden age” of Talavera pottery (from 1650 to 1750).  Formally, the tradition that developed there is called Talavera Poblana to distinguish it from the similarly named Talavera pottery of Spain. It is a mixture of Italian, Spanish and indigenous ceramic techniques.

The tradition has struggled since the Mexican War of Independence in the early 19th century, when the number of workshops were reduced to less than eight in the state of Puebla. Later efforts by artists and collectors revived the craft somewhat in the early 20th century and there are now significant collections of Talavera pottery in Puebla, Mexico City and New York City. Further efforts to preserve and promote the craft have occurred in the late 20th century, with the introduction of new, decorative designs and the passage of theDenominación de Origen de la Talavera law to protect authentic, Talavera pieces made with the original, 16th-century methods.

The Tradition of Talavera Pottery

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Handpainted Talavera PotteryIn the 2000s, seventeen workshops were producing Talavera in the old tradition. Eight were in the process of becoming certified.  These workshops employed about 250 workers and exported their wares to the United States, Canada, South America and Europe.

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, its namesake.  In 1997, the Denominación de Origin de la Talavera was established to regulate what pieces could be officially called Talavera. Requisites included the city of production, the clay that was used, and the manufacturing methods. These pieces now carry holograms.  One of the reasons the federal law was passed was that the remaining Talavera workshops had maintained the high quality and crafting process from the early colonial period, and the goal was to protect the tradition.

However, the tradition still struggles. Angelica Moreno, owner of Talavera de la Reina, is concerned that the tradition of the craft is waning, despite her workshop’s efforts. One problem the craft faces is the lack of young people who are interested in learning it. An artisan earns about 700 to 800 pesos a week, which is not enough to meet expenses.

Emily Johnston de Forrest discovered Talavera

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MH458aIn the early 20th century, interest developed in collecting the work. In 1904, an American by the name of Emily Johnston de Forrest discovered Talavera on a trip to Mexico. She became interested in collecting the works, so she consulted scholars, local collectors and dealers. Eventually, her collection became the base of what is currently exhibited in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Her enthusiasm was passed onto Edwin Atlee Barber, the curator of the Pennsylvania Museum of Art. He, too, spent time in Mexico and introduced Talavera into the Pennsylvania museum’s collection. He studied the major stylistic periods and how to distinguish the best examples, publishing a guide in 1908 which is still considered authoritative.

During this time period, important museum collections were being assembled in Mexico as well. One of the earliest and most important was the collection of Francisco Perez Salazer in Mexico City. A bit later, in the 1920s, Franz Mayer, a German-born stockbroker, started his collection. In Puebla, he was considered a bit crazy for buying all of the “old stuff” from the locals. In 1986, the Franz Mayer Museum opened in Mexico City with the largest collection of Talavera Poblana in the world – 726 pieces from the 17th through the 19th century, and some 20th-century pieces by Enrique Luis Ventosa. In Puebla, José Luis Bello y González and his son José Mariano Bello y Acedo sought the advice of Ventosa in starting their collection. They amassed the largest and most important collection in the city which now is housed in the José Luis Bello y González Museum (Bello Museum).

More recently, the Museo de la Talavera (Talavera Museum) has been established in the city of Puebla, with an initial collection of 400 pieces. The museum is dedicated to recounting the origins, history, expansions and variations in the craft. Pieces include some of the simplest and most complex, as well as those representing different eras.

Colonial Mexican Pottery

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Talavera from Puebla MexicoThe production of glazed earthenware pottery was one of the earliest and most developed industries of New Spain, as colonial Mexico was called. The principal center of production, Puebla de Los Angeles, located south of Mexico City, was making wares by 1573. By the mid-seventeenth century, the Spanish had established a number of workshops in Puebla, and a potters’ guild was formed to control quality.

The pottery from Puebla was called Talavera de Puebla because the wares were intended to rival the Spanish pottery from Talavera de la Reina, a city near Toledo, Spain. Although the Mexican Indians had a thriving pottery industry at the time the Spanish arrived, the Europeans produced wares using their own techniques of wheel-thrown ceramics and tin glazing. The pottery from Puebla belongs to the majolica type, having an earthenware body that is covered with a white lead glaze that is then painted with colored glazes. Established in Europe by Islamic craftsmen in Spain, this technique is the same for Italian majolica, French faience, and Dutch delftware.Colonial Mexican ceramics are distinguished from the Spanish by the original ways in which Mexican potters absorbed artistic traditions from the East and West. European ceramics were imported to Mexico beginning in the late sixteenth century, and Chinese wares were plentiful since Mexico was on the Spanish trade route with China.

The impact of Chinese blue-and-white ceramics can be seen in the number of pieces from Puebla with a cobalt blue glaze. And the forms of the drug jar and vases were inspired by Chinese vessels. Other influences came from the Spanish colonial experience. Two tiles depict Native American warriors with feathered skirt and cape. An interesting substitution can be seen on the vase with iron hardware, where a stylized Mexican quetzal appears instead of a Chinese phoenix. The tiles with religious subjects remind us that tiles were made by the thousands to decorate Mexican churches, monasteries, and graveyards.The freedom Mexican artists exercised is seen best, perhaps, in the large vase that juxtaposes a European woman in a chariot with a host of animated Chinese figures. The humans and animals are filled with dots, an Islamic tradition for indicating living figures. This surprising, vibrant creation unites several worlds of art in one object.

Philadelphia Museum of Art – Summer 1992