Artisanal Talavera of Puebla and Tlaxcala

Pottery is made in these locations because of the quality of the natural clay found there and the tradition of production which goes back to the 16th century.

Production of this ceramic became highly developed in Puebla because of the availability of fine clays and the demand for tiles from the newly established churches and monasteries in the area.

The industry had grown sufficiently that by the mid-17th century, standards and guilds had been established which further improved the quality, leading Puebla into what is called the "golden age" of Talavera pottery (from 1650 to 1750).

[2] The tradition has struggled since the Mexican War of Independence in the early 19th century, when the number of workshops were reduced to less than eight in the state of Puebla.

Further efforts to preserve and promote the craft have occurred in the late 20th century, with the introduction of new, decorative designs and the passage of the Denominación de Origen de la Talavera law to protect authentic, Talavera pieces made with the original, 16th-century methods.

In the early days, only a cobalt blue was used, as this was the most expensive pigment, making it highly sought after not only for prestige but also because it ensured the quality of the entire piece.

[10] Because of this, Talavera manufacturers have been under pressure from imitations, commonly from China,[11] and similar ceramics from other parts of Mexico, especially Guanajuato.

Guanajuato state petitioned the federal government for the right to share the Talavera designation with Puebla, but, since 1997, this has been denied and glazed ceramics from other parts of Mexico are called Maiolica or Majolica.

[4][5] Today, only pieces made by designated areas and from workshops that have been certified are permitted to call their work "Talavera.

[11] The process to create Talavera pottery is elaborate and it has basically not changed since the early colonial period when the craft was first introduced.

[17] Another certified workshop, Talavera de la Reina, is known for revitalizing the decoration of the ceramics with the work of 1990s Mexican artists.

[18] The Puebla kitchen is one of the traditional environments of Talavera pottery, from the tiles that decorate the walls and counters to the dishes and other food containers.

[9][20] These tiles are called azulejos and can be found on fountains, patios, the façades of homes, churches and other buildings, forming an important part of Puebla's Baroque architecture.

[23][24] Techniques and designs of Islamic pottery were brought to Spain by the Moors by the end of the 12th century as Hispano-Moresque ware.

[8][19] Spanish craftsmen from Talavera de la Reina (Castile, Spain) adopted and added to the art form.

[9] During roughly the same time period, pre-Hispanic cultures had their own tradition of pottery and ceramics, but they did not involve a potter's wheel or glazing.

[2][8] A significant number of secular potters came to Mexico from Seville and Talavera de la Reina, Spain during the very early colonial period.

[2][18] Later a notable potter by the name of Diego Gaytán, who was a native of Talavera, made an impact on pottery after he arrived in Puebla.

The demand for tiles to decorate these buildings plus the availability of high-quality clay in the area gave rise to the ceramic industry.

[18] During this time, the preferred use of blue on Talavera pottery was reinforced by the influence of China's Ming dynasty through imported Chinese ceramics that came to Mexico via the Manila galleons.

[10] Talavera had been under pressure in the latter part of the 20th century because of competition from pottery made in other Mexican states, cheap imports and the lack of more modern and imaginative designs.

[5] In the early 1990s, the Talavera de la Reina workshop began revitalizing the craft by inviting artists to work with their artisans to create new pieces and new decorative designs.

Among the artists were Juan Soriano, Vicente Rojo Almazán, Javier Marín, Gustavo Pérez, Magali Lara and Francisco Toledo.

[5][10][11] They did not change the ceramic processes, but added human forms, animals, other items and traditional images of flowers to the designs.

[5][10] These workshops employed about 250 workers and exported their wares to the United States, Canada, South America and Europe.

[5] One of the reasons the federal law was passed was that the remaining Talavera workshops had maintained the high quality and crafting process from the early colonial period, and the goal was to protect the tradition.

Angelica Moreno, owner of Talavera de la Reina, is concerned that the tradition of the craft is waning, despite her workshop's efforts.

Most tiles during the colonial period were decorated with flowers and landscapes but a significant number were painted to create murals with maps.

The chosen maps show the development of Mexico City as well as representations of the Acapulco, Puebla and the Tesuco regions during this time period.

The Museum of the Americas in Spain held an exhibit called "Talaveras de Puebla, Cerámica colonial Mexicana.