Mexican Pottery
Mexican Pottery
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~MEXICAN POTTERY COFFEE MUGS~DOVE & DAISY DESIGN~SUPER~ $9.99 |
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Vintage Mexican Art Pottery BURNISHED Pitcher – Marked $22.96 |
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AUTHENTIC MEXICAN POTTERY VASE $9.99 |
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Vintage Tlaquepaque Pottery Nesting Bowls – Mexican $79.96 |
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Vintage Mexican Tourist Pottery Bizarre Vase Jug Black $69.00 |
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Fine Older Tonala Art Pottery 14 pc. NATIVITY – Mexican $129.96 |
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Vintage old Mexican pottery Tlaquepaque petatillo vase $49.99 |
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One of a Kind Mexican Pottery $18.00 |
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Vintage old Mexican tourist pottery Fantasia plate $34.99 |
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Vintage old Mexican pottery Tlaquepaque green plate $39.99 |
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Vintage old Mexican pottery Tlaquepaque bandera plate $24.99 |
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MEXICAN TALAVERA POTTERY DONKEY SCULPTURE PLANTER $42.50 |
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MEXICAN TALAVERA POTTERY DONKEY SCULPTURE PLANTER $42.50 |
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TALAVERA MEXICAN POTTERY CRAB SCULPTURE FISH WALL DECOR $10.95 |
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TALAVERA MEXICAN POTTERY CRAB SCULPTURE FISH WALL DECOR $10.95 |
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TALAVERA MEXICAN POTTERY CRAB SCULPTURE FISH WALL DECOR $10.95 |
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TALAVERA MEXICAN POTTERY CRAB SCULPTURE FISH WALL DECOR $10.95 |
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Mexican Art Pottery Fish w/ Blue Flowers Signed $7.00 |
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KEN EDWARDS TONALA MEXICAN POTTERY COFFEE CUP $9.99 |
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TONALA MEXICAN POTTERY HAND MADE/PAINTED CANDLE STICK $9.99 |
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MEXICAN HP BIRD ART POTTERY VASE PELICAN BUTTERFLY SGND $5.99 |
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Mexican Day Of The Dead Clay Pottery Ashtray Very Cool $9.99 |
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Vint MEXICAN Pottery BIRD Signed by Artist $9.99 |
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Erandi Mexican Folk Art Pottery Jug / Jar / Vase Ram $16.99 |
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OAXACA MEXICAN POTTERY COFFEE CUP MUG CALLA CALA LILY $2.99 |
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Mexican Folk Art Talavera Pottery CROSS Decor Orange $12.99 |
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Mexican Folk Art Talavera Pottery FISH Wall Decor $11.99 |
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Mexican Folk Art Talavera Pottery FISH Wall Decor NEW $10.99 |
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Mexican Pottery Folk Art BROWN DOVE Signed $6.99 |
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Mexican Pottery Folk Art CAT Signed C $5.99 |
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MEXICAN WIND CHIME BELL POTTERY COLLECTABLE 13″ CHILLI $9.99 |
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MEXICAN POTTERY GLAZED HANDLED VASE BLUE BIRD FLORAL $9.99 |
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Mexican Pottery Hand Painted Bowl with Village nr $7.99 |
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BEAUTIFUL FLOWERED MEXICAN POTTERY LAMP WITH CHIMINEY $24.99 |
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Old Mexican Pottery Tourist Casserole Dish Fish & Sun $8.99 |
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90~Mexican pottery handpainted TALAVERA TILE 4″ NEW $100.00 |
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90~Mexican pottery handpainted TALAVERA TILE 4″ NEW $100.00 |
The word ceramic was derived from the greek word ‘Keramos’ meaning ‘earthen vessel’. The word has now been applied to a wide range of products from terracotta to the finest bone china. Dinnerware and tableware are just two of the categories often used by stores to describe the end use of this range of ceramics.
For the discerning shopper selection of dinnerware is primarily based around fashion. In todays fast moving world, where casual dining has become the norm, our dinnerware often reflects our taste in food or the environment in which we use it. For example mexican food might well be served in brightly coloured dishes decorated with peppers, spices and other vegetables reflecting the type of food we might eat..
However the technical features of the dinnerware are much harder to identify. First what type of ceramic is it we are buying? Is it terracotta,earthenware,stoneware, porcelain or bone china? Often it just says china on the box but this means nothing as it is just another broad term implying it is a ceramic! But we know that already don’t we?
So just how do we identify the different types of pottery? One way is to look at the colour of the body under the shiny glaze. The best place to do this is under the foot of the item as this is often unglazed. In order of pure whiteness the following is a generalised guide to the colour .
Terracotta bright red to red brown body colour
Stoneware pale brown to buff colour
Earthenware ivory to off white
Porcelain off white to blue white
Bone China creamy pure white
Porcelain and bone china can be more easily differentiated from the rest by their translucency. This means that they they let light transmit thro the piece. If you hold a delicate piece of bone china or porcelain up to the light, and wave your hand beween the plate and the light, you can see a shadow of your hand thro the piece.
So now we know what type of dinnerware we are buying-what does it mean ? Firstly it is a guide to the strength of the piece and means resistance to chipping ,cracking and breakage. Secondly it is a guide to the cost. High quality bone china and porcelain manufacturers use highly refined materials and processes to ‘design in’ the whiteness,translucency and strength required by consumers.Consequently the cost is higher. However because of the inherent strength you might expect this type of pottery to last longer in use!
As in life things are never quite so simple. The manufacturers of other types of dinnerware (terracotta,stoneware,and earthenware) compensate for their lack of inherent strength by making chunkier pieces. All types of ware can be highly decorated with colour so this is not the differentiator. So the shopper has a choice of chunkier less white designs or whiter more delicate designs!
The chemical resistance to acids and washing detergents is also worth considering. Generally higher fired glazed tableware such as porcelain and stoneware have a higher intrinsic chemical durability and are ‘unleaded’ but this is not always the case.Top brands now indicate their testing to BS or FDA standards and indicate their quality by labelling with ‘dishwasher safe’ and ‘unleaded’ or ‘lead-free’ . The astute shopper therefore needs to look for these labels in determining value for money.
In summary,shopping for dinnerware can be an enjoyable experience! Armed with a little technical knowledge the process can be so much easier! Give at least equal weighting to to the technical performance as to the fashionable design in choosing your ceramic tableware.
For more information why not contact the Potters Friend at www.pottersfriend.co.uk
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About the Author:
Educated to a Masters degree level in Materials Science and Technology, my love of ceramics has lasted over 27 years.
A member of the Institute of Materials, Mining and Minerals, I have travelled the world to help potters find solutions to body, glaze and decoration faults. Regarded as an expert in glaze technology; I have been challenged by the biggest names in the the pottery industry.
Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Things you need to know before buying your ceramic dinnerware!