La visión extranjera de la Talavera

Mas sobre la perspectiva extranjera de la artesanía mexicana

Vía urbanpaintbrush.com

The colorful vase in your grandma’s living room is not just a decorative accessory for you to hide your Halloween candy in, but an intricate form of art right out of the 1600′s. Originally from the Spaniards, this organic piece of ethnic history still lives on today. Many bowls, jars, tiles, and even little shelf accessory chickens are of Talavera origin. But don’t be fooled, anything beautiful is likely to be intimidated.

Photo by: chrissy575

The history of Talavera

Majolica pottery was brought to Mexico in the 1600′s by the Spanish during the colonial period. The ceramic became popular and highly produced in Puebla because of their fine clays, and the demand for tiles for the newly built churches and monestaries  in Puebla and the nearby cities. The golden age of this art form was from 1650-1750, and the Mexicans distinctly named it “Talavera Poblana” to separate it from the Spain origination. The Mexican are said to have learned some of their techniques from the Chinese and Italian. The same creative techniques are used today as they were in the 1600′s.

Making Talavera pottery

Talavera is a creamy, white clay made from a type of majolica earthenware. The firing process causes the outside to appear slightly porous, and the raised edges around the designs are to assist in the hand-painted detailing of the piece. The pottery must be formed on a potter’s wheel, or molded by hand. The pieces that appear to have been through a plastic mold are not of authentic 1600′s quality.

The bright colors are not of paint, but of mineral pigments, though not limited in any way. The mineral colors are of bold vibrancy, seeming to represent a box of children’s crayons. Pinks and turquoises, and other mixed colors are possible, but very rare, for they are harder to make. You will most likely find the general palettes of blue, red, green, and yellow.Photo by: macsurak

What makes it authentic

As mentioned, talavera pottery is still being produced today, and it’s rarity makes it a popular subject for con-artists. So how do you tell apart the real thing from Play-doh? First of all, this clay is fairly thick, and cannot be poured into a mold. You should be able to find slight, distinct markings where a person’s hand was used, no talavera piece is uniform in perfection. Also remember to look for the little tiny pores, this clay is very natural. Of course, the paint is second most important. Remember we mentioned the mineral colors, they will appear slightly transparent at first, almost like stained glass. Most original Mexican pieces are very bright, usually of solid reds, blues, and yellows such as the tiles of the Mexican Embassy.

The most important feature of authenticity is the little mark on the bottom. Real pottery will usually have the artists name, followed by “Puebla” or “Talavera.” Puebla is a state in Mexico, and is your best bet for verification. Some other regions in the Talavera zone are Cholula, and Tecali. But since anyone can carve something onto the bottom of clay, keep your eyes peeled for the other details. Perfect, flat pots are probably worth about as much as your left shoe.Photo by: davidden