cross art

This charming wall cross from the Contreras Family is made of ceramic and painted by hand in the time-honored majolica style. The cross features a dainty folk art Maria doll in colorful costume against a background of emerald green.

The charming doll originated in Mexico City when many Otomi and Mazahua people migrated to the capital in the 1970s. Due to their unique traditional clothing, the women became known as "Marias." An educational program was established for them and artist Diego Rivera's daughter, Guadalupe Rivera Marin, encouraged crafting these popular rag dolls as a way to generate income in the 1980s. Artisan women took the idea home to their Mazahua and Otomi towns and the dolls became popular throughout Mexico and abroad.

Centered by a heart as well as a lively green cactus, this ceramic wall cross is a beautiful way to express your faith. The Contreras Family crafts the cross in the traditional majolica style, and paints it by hand with colorful glazes.

Perfect for holding beauty supplies like cotton balls and Q-tips, small desk supplies like paper clips, or kitchen essentials like rubber bands, this lovely ceramic cylindrical decorative jar is handcrafted by Mexican artisan Topiltzin Castro in the Talavera style. On the body of the container, the artisan hand-paints a motif of diagonal rows of white teardrops interspersed with warm brown dots and alternating scallop-edged rows of avocado green horizontal pinstripes. The background is left unglazed, allowing the matte, natural ivory color of the ceramic to show through. The same motif is on the lid, with the rows spiraling in to the center. The rims of the container and lid, and the lid's knob, are painted a warm brown.

Every house element can be transformed into a traditional accent with the help of Juana Ponce and her fascinating creativity. Working with ceramic in the Talavera style, the Mexican artisan handcrafts this tissue box cover featuring a palette of green and warm hues that bring to life a classic scene of the desert and its charming cactus.

The classic Talavera technique infuses this tissue box cover with a regal Hacienda theme inspired by nature. Mexico's Ivan Martinez uses traditional methods to craft this ceramic accessory, whose floral and leafy details—in a palette of green, blue, red, and yellow—shine thanks to a glazed finish.

Banish boring tissue boxes with Mexican artisan Ivan Martinez's cheerful ceramic creation. Crafted in the style of age-old Talavera tradition, this square cover bursts with hand-painted charm, turning an everyday necessity into a delightful detail. Let the vibrant floral and leaf motifs infuse a touch of handcrafted joy into any room, proving that practicality can be pretty.