Talavera is a kind of pottery named after the region in
Spain from which it came,
Talavera de la Reina. All talavera pieces are made from clay found only in the area of
Puebla,
Mexico. It is written both
talavera and
telavera.
The main talavera creations are tiles, bowls, plates, platters, vases, and jewelry boxes. One can also find doorknobs and sinks made entirely of talavera. It is generally white with blue decoration, but Italian influence has added green, black and yellow to the style.
Talavera was introduced to Mexico in the 1500s, and faunal and floral motifs were added, due to the influence of asian pottery, in the 1600s and 1700s. Artists from Puebla adapted the asian style to their own, and made use of a feathery design to fill the negative space.
It is fired at a high temperature, then painted with patterns, and then fired at an even higher temperature, creating a bright colour, with a glossy lustre. The patterns are painted using mule-hair brushes, and mineral based paints.
There are examples of Talavera at the Museo Amparo in Puebla, the Museo Franz Mayer in Mexico City, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Art Institute of Chicago.