Barrel-shaped Flower Pot

Tin-glazed earthenware, or maiolica, was produced in Mexico City by the mid-16th century, after the technology was introduced by Spanish potters. From the early 17th century on, the principal center of ceramic production in Mexico was the city of Puebla de los Angeles. The modern term by which it is known, Talavera Poblana (Puebla Talavera), is taken from the name of the Spanish ceramic-producing town of Talavera de la Reina. The distinctive blue-and-white ceramics for which Puebla is famous were inspired by Chinese porcelains brought to Mexico on the ships known as the Manila Galleons. Luxury goods from Asia, including porcelain, were exported from the Spanish Philippines to the Pacific port of Acapulco. Much of it was then transported overland via Puebla to Veracruz for shipment to Spain. Puebla potters adopted Chinese forms and motifs, often combining them with European decorative styles.