In this epigraph we summarize the origins and development of the typical and beautiful Spanish art of glazed pottery and tiles murals. Please, browse our different web sections to enjoy beautiful samples of this kind of tile-works in our catalog.

Ancient origins

Spanish pottery has a long history since centuries BC until nowadays. For example, one of the most prestigious cities regarding pottery, Talavera de la Reina, in the province of Toledo in Spain, served as an important center for agriculture and ceramics in the 3^rd and 4^th centuries BC. Dishes, jars and other objects have been found in recent archaeological excavations; some of the materials discovered date back to the Roman Empire.
 

Arabian techniques

Many centuries later, by the end of the 12^th century, Arabs brought to the city new techniques, including a new kind of oven for baking pottery. During that era, many of the pieces included abstract motifs as prescribed by Muslim religious restrictions.

From the Arabic culture comes the word "azulejo": painted tin-glazed ceramic tilework. It has become a typical aspect of Spanish culture, having been produced without interruption up to now. There is also a tradition of their production in former Spanish and Portuguese colonies in South and Central America and in the Philipines.

Spanish pottery in America

In America, pre-Hispanic cultures had their own tradition of pottery and ceramics, but they did not involve a potter's wheel or glazing. The most common and accepted theory as to how spanish-arabic pottery and glazing arrived to Mexico, and other american regions, is that it was introduced by monks who either sent for artisans from Spain or knew how to produce the ceramics themselves. These monks wanted tiles and other objects to decorate their new monasteries, so to keep up with this demand, either Spanish artists or the monks taught indigenous artists to produce the glazed pottery.

Talavera spanish pottery

Spanish ceramic tiles of Talavera (Talavera de la Reina, Toledo, Spain) have been used to make fountains; examples exist in Cuba and Brazil. Glazed tiles for decorating facades of buildings have been made; some are in New Orleans, Paris or Tokyo. Its presence in Royal Palaces and Museums all over the world testify to its unique beauty and top quality.
 

Workshops in several towns of Spain keep up this ancient tradition creating fine tile-works for decorative ceramic murals. Some of the wellknown styles of Spanish pottery are:

• Baroque
• Renaissance
• Bird collections
• House collections
• Religious collections
• Hunting scenes
• ...

These and other many styles can be hand made for you in our Workshop following the ancient tradition of Spanish glazed tile murals.