Puebla’s Talavera Pottery

After arriving and having lunch in the city of Puebla, we made a stop at Uriarte Talavera Ceramics.

This was something both of us had been waiting for, and it certainly lived up to its hype!

 

What is Talavera Pottery?

The original Talavera pottery, known as Talavera de la Reina pottery, is a traditional type of tin-glazed earthenware made in Talavera de la Reina, Spain, near Toledo. 

That region has a long history of pottery. Objects that have been found in archaeological excavations date back to the Roman Empire.

Talavera was brought to New Spain (Mexico) by the Spaniards in the 16th century.

 

Visiting Uriarte Pottery

Uriarte is the oldest Talavera pottery company in Puebla and one of the first in the country.

Founded in 1824, Uriarte Talavera is the first Talavera producer workshop certified in accordance with the Official Mexican Standard that grants it the Denomination of Origin. 

A historic house in the city of Puebla is home to the pottery studio and shop. The workshop preserves the process of making the pottery originally introduced by the Spanish.

 

 

All the pieces are made completely by hand, following strict standards of quality and adherence to the colonial technique.

 

The Stages of Talavera Pottery Making

Talavera pottery has seven stages in its production. Our tour of the building walked us from start to finish. 

We got to meet all of the artisans and see how each played a role in the making of the beautiful pottery.

 

The steps are:

Preparation of the Clay

Modeling or Molding

 

 

First Baking: Jahuete or Sancocho

 

 

 

Glazing

 

Stenciling

Painting

Second Baking: Finished product

The Real Deal

All across Mexico, including most tourist shops, you are able to purchase Talavera-style pottery pieces.

However, authentication is part of what makes this historical poetry so famous. On the bottom, you’ll see each piece is hand-lettered with the name of the logo and name of the studio, the year they started making Talavera pottery, and the date!

 

Shopping!

As if the exploration of the building wasn’t enough. The shopping is awesome! And, living in Mexico and passing through Merida on the trip, we were able to do a little shopping for the house!

 

 

Fear not. There are beautiful smaller pieces and Christmas ornaments if you don’t want to schlep or ship things home!

We’ll definitely head back there on our next trip to Puebla!