The art of Talavera pottery dates back to the 8th Century in the European countries. With combined influence of the Arab, Spanish, Chinese, Italian and the Mexican. Talavera is a kind of majolica earthenware produced in Mexico and is still being made the way it was in the 16th century. Talavera pottery is a high-quality decorative earthenware recognized by its strong colors and detailed patterns. 

Talavera pottery is made in several parts of Mexico but official Talavera Pottery is only produced in Puebla. Under strict guidelines set up to protect and preserve the quality of the ware. Talavera stands out from other pottery because of its bright colors and rich glazing. The glazing is executed in a tricolor series which includes tracing the ceramics with black and adding classic blue and pale-blue decorations on a white background. 

The Process of making Talavera Pottery

The clay

The process of making the clay for Talavera pottery takes 12 to 15 days. The clay is a found locally and soaked for days, it is then strained into fine particles to give the earthenware a smoother finish. After sitting the clay separates from the water and Talavera craftsmen mold the clay either by hand or using a potter’s wheel.

The drying

The pottery piece is then polished by using a wet sponge to bring a smooth finish to the clay. The Talavera piece is then dried by placing it in the sun for up to 3 weeks. It’s best to dry at a slow pace to minimize the stress on the Talavera in the drying process and will produce a stronger more uniform finish for the pottery.  The dry molded clay is then backed in a brick oven for 7 to 8 hours at 200 degrees F.

Firing

When the piece comes out of the oven it is dipped in a lead-free white glaze and left to dry for several days. Then the potters go to work creating there patterns to decorate the Talavera piece. This can take hours or days depending on the size of the piece. The pottery is all hand painted with natural mineral based enamels applied with a mule-hair paint brush. The potter finishes his art work and the piece is then left to dry again.

Finish

The final firing in the oven is what transforms the glaze and the paint into a hard brightly covered surface. This fuses the colors to the clay and crystallizes the surface of the pottery item creating the finest Talavera pottery available today.