Mexican Talavera Pottery Can Not be Imitated

talavera pottery from mexicoTraditional glazed pottery from Puebla (Mexico) known as “Talavera” inspired by the Spanish origin of Talavera de la Reyna, is in no danger to the invasion of imitations from China, said an expert in this field.

Businesswoman Angelica Moreno, owner of the Mexican workshop Talavera de la Reyna said at a news conference that copies of Talavera crafts have a lower quality than Mexican so he is not worried trying to compete with them.

Comments were made at the Franz Mayer Museum in Mexico City concerning the presentation of the exhibition “Alarca. Talavera Contemporary. Glazed pottery”, which will be open until September 30.

Moreno criticized the Chinese ceramics, which he considered “horrific” and said anyone who knows poblana wouldn’t buy a Chinese ceramic product.

The specialist says it takes more than three months to make a good Mexican talaverana piece and a technique that has more than four centuries old is employed.

The name “Talavera” in Mexico is used to designate any object with white glazed ceramic tin and metal oxides, following the techniques introduced in Mexico by the Spanish potters during colonial times (1521-1821).

He added that another thing they have going for 16 Talavera workshops based in Puebla is the denomination of origin, obtained in 1997 and a hologram that distinguishes each piece, which gives security to the buyer that they are purchasing an original piece.

Article Source: El Siglo de Torreon

On the exhibition that will open he said includes more than 70 pieces of pottery made in his workshop and based on designs of 55 Mexican artists.

Among them are Juan Soriano, Francisco Toledo, Vicente Rojo, Javier Marin Paloma Torres, Besabeé Romero and Germán Montalvo.

He praised the contributions of these artists for their uniqueness and because they have enriched the work of Mexican artisans making their way to renew their pieces.

Among those on display will be a car, lenses, dolls, vases, plates, cups, sculptures and pieces of crockery.

The expert noted that the pieces were made in the last fifteen years and are part of a valuable collection of workshop Reyna has been exhibited in Puebla and in Beijing.

Certified Talavera Pottery

Talavera Plate by Studio Tomas HuertaTrue, certified Talavera pottery is produced in the city of Puebla, in the state of Puebla, Mexico however, high-quality, modern Talavera pottery is also available from factories in other Mexican districts such as Dolores Hidalgo and Guanajuato.

From the time of the Olmecs, between 1200 BC and 600 AD, pottery has been a central part of Mexican life.  Their use of clay, knowledge of primitive firing and coloring techniques, as well as designs was passed down to other cultures that followed.  The Olmecs are considered by many as the mother culture of Mesoamerican civilizations.

Talavera de la Reina, a Spanish village, has long been influential in the world’s knowledge of fine ceramics.  When the Muslims conquered North Africa and moved into Europe, their tin-glazed ceramics, known as Majolica, came to Spain.  Majolica was developed in the Middle East but gained cultural diversity through influences from the Chinese, Italians, Moors and Spanish cultures.  Spanish craftsmen learned and further developed this craft and, in the 16th century, introduced it to Mexico.  The term Talavera is used to describe faithful reproductions of the pottery that is made in Talavera de la Reina, Spain.

When the Spanish introduced their stylized pottery to their recently established colony in Mexico, the local artisans blended these new techniques with their established practices to creat the famous Talavera pottery of Mexico.  It is believed that the first workshop was established in the city of Puebla around 1600 AD.  Puebla became the home of authentic Mexican Talavera and is where the first potter’s guilds were formed to establish standards and regulations for the production of Talavera.

Majolica ceramics, made in the Talavera style, are produced throughout many different regions of Mexico.  These new influences have produced a variety of modern styles and designs that are growing in popularity.  One such area, Dolores Hidalgo, is the home of Artesanias Amora fabrica.  It is considered the best fabrica in the area and produces some of the finest quality modern Talavera in Mexico today.  Although these products do not meet the exacting standards established by the Consejo Regulador de Talavera, they are fine quality modern Talavera pieces a modest prices.