beautiful vase

Crafted from ceramic in an intriguing wavy shape, this beautiful vase from Mexico is designed by Juana Ponce. She works in the tradition of Talavera folk art, painting the vase by hand with colourful floral motifs. This piece is perfect for simple home decor as well as for displaying flowers.

The swallow motif has long been popular in authentic Talavera pottery and is usually depicted in cobalt blue, popular in the 16th and 17th centuries. However this bird seems to suggest the quetzal found in the cloud forests of Oaxaca, a state that borders Puebla. Isabelle Collins works in the style and technique of classic Talavera ceramics to create a beautiful ginger jar. This lidded vase is known in Mexico as a tibor; it was brought to Mexico from the Orient by way of the Philippines in the late 1500s.

"We use the same techniques and styles used in 16th-century Puebla. Classic Talavera used only six colors, all of which were natural glazes compounded at home with mineral pigments. We create our homemade paintbrushes using mule hair or horsehair from the mane or tail, according to the thickness desired for our motifs," the artisan confides.

Recently harvested pitaya in its many colours decorates this beautiful ceramic flower pot. The refreshing cactus fruit can be found throughout Mexico in April and May. Working in the style and technique of classic Talavera pottery, Isabelle Collins, creates motifs that are uniquely Mexican.

"We use the same techniques and styles used in 16th-century Puebla. Classic Talavera used only six colours, all of which were natural glazes compounded at home with mineral pigments. We create our homemade paintbrushes using mule hair or horsehair from the mane or tail, according to the thickness desired for our motifs," the artisan explains.