Beautiful Handmade Talavera Ceramic Dish. Handmade in the XIX Century. Well Preserved

Beautiful piece of Talavera pottery, a fully artisanal ceramic plate made by hand in the city of Toledo (Spain) in the 19th century. This plate, whose simple white and blue design is typical of the Talavera pottery, is in good condition in spite of being more than one hundred years old. The piece shows no hairlines or dents and keeps all its elegant charm: it is a very decorative article perfect to become part of a good collection of antique pottery or to adorn a library or wall. The surface shows small brown marks: they are furnace marks caused by the heat generated in the firing process.Talavera pottery is a kind of artisanal pottery made by hand in the city of Talavera de la Reina (Toledo, Spain). It is made of the clays obtained by river Tajo and the pieces are decorated by hand with different colors. The most widely known designs are the ones painted white and blue, the colors of Talaveras flag. This wonderful pottery started during the Muslim domination and the designs are strongly influenced by the Islamic art, especially in the decorative fringes. With the advent of Christianization the potters started including human figures in the compositions.This plate shows the classic colors of Talavera pottery: the white background and the decorative motives painted in cobalt blue. They make up a smart and attractive contrast. The design that embellishes this plate is abstract in style though it is clearly flower-inspired. At the center we can see a rosette, and the edge is decorated with several concentric fringes. The most remarkable one depicts a field with grass and plants growing from the ground. The plates edge is blue and the back has no decoration at all: the only thing we can see on the white surface are small furnace marks.Any lover of fine pottery will love this Talavera plate, a highly decorative and antique article.Measurements: Diameter: 23 cm/9 in.