How to Identify and Decorate With Talavera Pottery and Tile

Colorful and highly detailed, talavera pottery has been bringing a touch of Mexico to interior and exterior spaces alike for centuries. With its intricate, hand-painted designs set against a bright, white background, talavera pieces are a fusion of Italian, Spanish, Chinese and Mexican indigenous influences.

The tin-enameled earthenware gets its name from the Spanish city of Talavera de la Reina, a major producer of colorful majolica from the 16th century to the mid-18th century. The Spanish majolica pottery was introduced to Mexico after the Conquest, when immigrants imported it to the Mexican city of Puebla in the 16th century. Puebla and its surrounding region became a center for the arts in the New World due to the presence of the Catholic church. "Military power was in Mexico City, but the church administration was in Puebla," says Marc Galante, owner of Mediterraniá, a talavera import store in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Those priests and bishops employed an army of craftsmen and artists to build and adorn churches and the households of the elite. That included potters who made talavera ceramics. This water pitcher was made in Puebla by Uriarte, one of the oldest talavera makers in Mexico.

Puebla got serious about talavera in 1653, when the first potters’ guild was formed in the city. The guild set standards for the materials, colors, techniques and patterns that could be used in talavera pottery that are in effect to this day. The guild was made up of Spanish potters from the old country and indigenous potters from local tribes who added their own stylistic influences. The fusion of cultures resulted in the creation of an entirely new style of pottery than what had been made in Spain — one that blended Italian, Spanish, Chinese and indigenous styles and techniques.

Much of the talavera made in 17th-century Puebla had a blue and white palette, influenced by the Chinese porcelain that was brought to Mexico from Manilla by Spanish galleons. The galleons are long gone, but blue and white talavera remains. To this day, blue and white is one of the canonical color schemes in talavera pieces ranging from wall tile to bowls to dinner plates. This courtyard fountain is made of classic blue-and-white talavera tile.

Talavera's manufacturing process is used to make utilitarian pieces like plates, bowls, sinks, flower pots and decorative figurines. A lot of talavera is tiles used to decorate interior and exterior walls of buildings. Murals painted on talavera tile are very popular, like this one depicting a European-inspired cherub against geometric shapes that have their roots in Aztec pottery.

Today, talavera ceramics are produced in Spain and in several areas of Mexico — but only the talavera pottery and tile made in the city of Puebla, Mexico, is considered authentic. Talavera makers there follow a strict and complex process dating from the 16th century. They must use clay from just a few approved sites within the city. There are only six permitted colors: blue, yellow, black, green, orange and mauve, and these colors must be made from natural pigments. While there are talavera patterns dating back to 1724 that are still in use, there are no rules against riffing on tradition and coming up with totally new patterns. Potters can't deviate from the approved colors, though. "It's not the patterns that make it talavera," Galante says. "It's the colors."

The oldest continually operating talvera workshop in Puebla, Mexico is Uriarte Talavera. Their artisans have been turning out handmade pottery items since 1824. This plate by Uriate features classic talavera colors and patterns. Today there are about 20 certified talavera makers in the Puebla region who are still making the colorful, patterned pottery using methods handed down from generation to generation.

Talavera is sold at many price points, with pieces ranging from $10 for a small piece to more than $400 for a flower pot. Authentic talavera, made by a workshop in Puebla, is more expensive than the imitation stuff cranked out for the tourist trade at other locations. To determine if a piece is authentic, look on the bottom of the piece for the logo of the manufacturer, the initials of the artist, the location of the manufacturer, and a DO4 certification number. There's nothing wrong with buying affordable knockoff talavera, as long as you know that's what you're getting.

Puebla, Mexico, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its stock of 17th century Spanish colonial buildings covered with talavera tile. Bring a touch of Old Mexico to your home by surrounding a front entrance with talavera tile, like this one that uses the classic blue-and-white tile. Be sure your home style synchs with this colorful tile, though; talavera works best with modern, Spanish colonial and Mediterranean revival-style homes. Got a Cape Cod-style home? Skip the talavera.

Despite — or perhaps because of — it's ancient origins, talavera tile makes a beautiful backdrop to sleek, contemporary spaces. The tile's bright colors balance the cool, machined minimalism of a 21st century room. Here, a talavera-inspired tile backsplash is paired with a pot filler, stainless steel hood and rustic open shelving for a look that's a little Old Mexico, a little urban farmhouse.

Talavera is about bold color and pattern, so lean into that. Embrace maximalism and mix talavera tiles with courageous abandon. Here, this colorful kitchen looks like it could be in Frida Kahlo's La Casa Azul. The secret to mixing patterns: Limit the color palette. This room works because there are two dominant colors — yellow and blue — against a white background.

Sneak some color into your entryway by installing talavera tile on the stair risers. A popular accent in Southwestern-style homes, the saturated tiles add durability and a pop of sunwashed color to the space. Instead of mixing up the different patterns, stick to a single pattern per riser for a visually pleasing effect.

Talavera is so bold and bright that a single piece can hold its own in a room. Here, a talavera vase in classic blue and white is the star of the show in a minimalist, contemporary room. It's like a bold, blue exclamation point on a sea of neutral tones.