Mexican Folk Art Plates from Delores Hidalgo, Mexico

Summer is winding down in Minnesota,  but if you aren’t quite ready to let it go (or you live in a warm weather climate all year-long–lucky you) take a look at this handmade Mexican folk art from the town of Delores Hidalgo. These cheerful Mexican crafts are made individually the old-fashioned way. Yes, on a wheel and then glazed and fired. They are safe for eating (no lead) and can go into the microwave and dishwasher. These somewhat low fired ceramics can chip so it’s a good idea to treat them with respect. (No juggling.)

Almost every region of Mexico makes objects out of clay. In the state of Guanajuato, Delores Hidalgo is known for making “talavera.” There are hundreds of shops selling a wide range of ceramics in varying levels of quality. Talavera is a style of ceramic work that was brought to Mexico by the Spaniards after the conquest in the 1500′s. The other city that is perhaps even more well-known for talavera and is home to many masters of the craft, is Puebla in the state of Puebla. Puebla is home to one of the best, Uriarte. The styles of the talavera in the two cities are somewhat different with Puebla being even more Spanish in tradition. Another offshoot of these functional Mexican crafts is “majolica” and that can be found principally in the city of Guanajuato. Gorky Gonzalez is one of the famous potters of Guanajuato and many people recognize the Gorky style immediately. Another well-known majolica artisan in the city of Guanajuato is Capelo.

The functional Mexican folk art ceramics of Mexico are beautiful and we carry a lot of them in the shop at Zinnia Folk Arts. Stop in to our Twin Cities store or take a look right here!