Candle Holder

Talavera stands out for its beauty. It is made with a mixture of black and white clay and a vitreous crackle finish in ivory white as a base for decorations in blue, yellow, black, green, orange or mauve. Puebla is the most important pottery production center, the ideal place for creation and production due to the quality of its clays and artisan tradition. The distinctive style is the result of cultural syncretism between fine Mexican craftsmanship and designs with Spanish and Oriental touches. Since the 16th century it is a glazed pottery that is traditionally made, the authentic talavera is produced exclusively in the state of Puebla in the city of Puebla, Atlixco, Tecali de Herrera and Cholula; and in the state of Tlaxcala in San Pablo del Monte. In 1995 it was granted the Denomination of Origin, and has been declared since 2019 as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO. Currently only eleven workshops in the State of Puebla and Tlaxcala are certified and produce pieces of authentic Talavera that is handcrafted under the viceregal tradition. This fine candelabra worked in the traditional way is decorated by hand. The lower part is designed in the shape of a cup with handles that surround the waist and the upper part with half bow ornaments on the sides. It is enameled in ivory white with a fine decoration of cobalt blue petals and flowers in openwork style. How to know if the Talavera is original and has the Denomination of Origin DO4? First of all, it must come from workshops certified by the Talavera Regulatory Council that manufacture the pieces under the Mexican Official Standard (NOM) 132-CFI-1998 located in Puebla, Cholula and San Pablo del Monte. Anyone who distributes certified Talavera will be informed and proud to mention it; of course another identifying element will be the price; the cost of authentic certified Talavera will be higher than imitation pieces. An important element is also the colors, the DO4 is allowed six colors: blue, yellow, black, green, orange and mauve that must be constituted of natural pigments with which it can be seen with the processes of authenticity. Talavera is considered one of the major potteries of the traditional arts in Mexico. In Puebla, it is popularly said that Talavera contains a network of meanings that both the artisans and the Puebla community confer to it, which are historically linked to certain spaces, such as kitchens, churches, house facades and interiors. Talavera objects abounded in the churches, such as the basins used in the most important rituals and the water basins. Also in its facade as a symbol equivalent to the gold that covered the interiors; the great master craftsmen of Puebla always share that Talavera is a sign of splendor, also that in the churches and baroque monasteries of Puebla, Talavera is the sample where the religious and the profane converge. In the houses, it is considered the reflection of the clothing of their owners, through which the well-being, eccentricity or modesty of their owners can be observed. In the idea of the art historian Herbert Read, the sensitivity of a people, its fineness and creativity can be appreciated through its pottery; thus it can be said that Talavera is a reflection of the creative sensitivity of Mexican artisans in different times; a plurality of cultures that converge in Mexico, in such a way that the Arab, the Spanish and the Mexican apracen in this technique that is one of the most beautiful and appreciated in the world.