A History of Talavera Tile
Let’s start with a trick question! Check out the picture. Does it look like Talavera tile to you?
You would be right if you said no. It’s tilework from a mosque in Samarkand…. Exquisite in its union of geometry and lyrical scrollwork.
It’s hard to discuss Mexican tile without acknowledging its ancient origins and influences from around the world. It has a long, storied history and, in most cases, originated in the tilework from the Middle East, specifically Persia. With the spread of Islam, complex tilework spread westward throughout northern Africa and from there into Italy, Portugal and, most importantly, Moorish Spain. It also spread eastward along the Silk Road where extraordinary examples of intricately patterned tilework are to be seen ……… as in our photograph.
So, what is Talavera tile exactly? Simply put, it is high quality durable earthenware. It is a sub sect of the larger category “maiolica”, the painted tile and pottery seen throughout the Mediterranean from Greece, Italy, Portugal and Morocco.
But back to our beloved Mexican Talavera…….
Mexican Talevera, as we know it today, has its origins in the Spanish city of Talavera de la Reina. With the colonization of central America, monks and Spanish artists brought the Talavera pottery genre to the New World where European styles blended with native craftsmanship. This craft became established in the city of Puebla in the 16th century due to the excellent clay available locally. The craft flourished due to the high demand for tiles in monasteries and churches. It was also used in interiors and, sometimes, exteriors of houses. Motifs used are often lyrical versions of geometric patterns with a very ancient history. Images of animals, birds and flowers are a later addition to the craft.
Interesting and amusing sidebar: There is a saying in Mexico “you will never live in a house of tile” expressing disappointment in a person’s lack of motivation!
The craft blossomed and the 17th and 18th centuries are considered to be the zenith of Mexican Talavera. There was an explosion in the number of workshops to the point where quality and craftsmanship were being compromised. So, in the 17th century, guilds were established with strict rules to ensure what Talavera was and was not. These rules were designed to standardize production and increase quality.
Sadly, war and civil unrest in 19th century Mexico led to a decline in quality and number of workshops to only 7.
In the late 19th century and early 20th century a Spaniard Enrique Luis Ventosa and a Mexican Isaura Uriarte Martínez formed a partnership to resurrect the craft, infusing it with new designs inspired by art movements of the time. But the number of workshops continued to decline and reached a horrifyingly low number of 4.
In the 1990s there was a resurgence in Talavera through the infusion of new decorative elements, human images and floral/ animal motifs into the craft. There is, once again, strict controls on the city of production, clay type used and manufacturing methods. These help to protect workshops with high-quality work that date back to colonial times. These superior examples of pottery are impressed with the stamp of the workshop and are given a holographic marking as proof of authenticity.
Not all wall tile that we call Talavera tile is actually Talavera produced in Puebla but the splendid fusion of elements makes it a closely-related relative worthy of carrying the legendary name.
So, think about that the next time you step into the shower!
Image Credit: Patrickringgenberg [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]
Image Credit: Patrickringgenberg [CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]
