Alejandra Nuñez Guevara of Talavera la Trinidad, Puebla, comes from a family that has been making talavera pottery since the 1800's. She is slowly restoring the family's original workshop in an old hacienda that had fallen into disrepair. The taller's (workshop’s) products have been exhibited internationally.

The word talavera comes from the town Talavera de la Reina, Spain, known for its Spanish/Arabic pottery. Talavera pottery began its Mexican life in the city of Puebla. Some say that talavera is not "genuine" if it does not come from Puebla.

The process of manufacture starts with the selection of two types of clay. These clays are washed, cleaned, mixed, kneaded, and then allowed to air dry to a consistency that allows shaping either by hand, on a potter's wheel or in a mold to form the desired shapes. The pieces are then air dried for several weeks before the first firing in a kiln at around 1500 degrees Fahrenheit.

The next step is the decoration and glaze. The pottery pieces are hand painted and decorated to obtain the desired colors and patterns, using only six traditional mineral pigments: blue, green, yellow, red, brown and black. By combining these colors different tones of blue are achieved as well as orange and purple. The pigments must be made at the workshop following long-established formulas.

Ultimately, the pottery pieces are subjected to a final firing at around 1900 degrees Fahrenheit.

20 poniente # 305

Col. centro

Puebla, Puebla. 

222 2 42 3431

talaveralatrinidad@hotmail.com