Jar / Jarrón 1700-1800, Talavera de la Reina, Spain Museu de Ceràmica, Barcelona Photo by Guillém Fernández

Potters in Talavera de la Reina, Spain, were famous for their polychrome Renaissance style pottery, and the name of their town became permanently associated with tin-glazed earthenware. Manises was known for its lusterware and Seville for its tilework. Mexican potters in Puebla developed a blue-on-white style so successful that it persisted for two centuries, while Guanajuato became known for its colorful floral designs. The particular characteristics of the ceramics from each of these areas illustrate the artistic excellence of the potters and painters as well as the diversity that was possible within the single medium of mayólica.