Mexican Hand Craft

Mexican Hand CraftHand Crafted Tile Collections

Four collections of hand-painted and hand-glazed Mexican tile — the Talavera and Spanish Revival traditions that gave California its arches, its risers and its courtyards, still made the same way by workshops that never stopped.

Explore the Collections Ask Blue, Our Tile Guru

The Story

Two traditions, one set of hands.

Talavera arrived in Mexico with Spanish potters in the sixteenth century and never left — Moorish geometry carried through Andalusia, rendered in cobalt, saffron and deep green on a white ground. Three centuries later, California borrowed the same vocabulary for its Spanish Revival houses and rendered it differently: softer earth tones, and a raised cuerda seca line that gives the pattern real relief.

Both are still made by hand in the same Mexican workshops. Every piece is formed, painted or glazed, and fired in small batches, which is why colour depth and edge shift from tile to tile. Pattern collections are sold by the piece so a border or riser takes exactly the count it needs; solid collections are the ground those patterns were designed to sit against.

The Collections

Explore Mexican Hand Craft

Two pattern collections and the two solid ranges made to sit with them.

Talavera Hand-painted pattern Early Spanish and Mexican classics, silk-screened by hand in bold colour on a flat glaze. 1x1 through 6x6, sold by the piece. California Relieved cuerda seca Spanish Revival patterns in soft earth tones, with a raised line you can read with a thumb. 2x2, 4x4 and 6x6, sold by the piece. Talavera Solids Hand-glazed solid Eleven saturated glazes drawn from the Talavera palette, including two washes that pool and clear. 2x2, 4x4 and 6x6. Santa Barbara Solids Hand-glazed solid Twelve earth-tone glazes named for the coast, formulated to sit with California. 4x4 and 6x6, gloss and matte.

Common Questions

Mexican Hand Craft, answered.

Which collection should I start with?

If you want pattern, start with Talavera for bold saturated colour on a flat glaze, or California for softer earth tones and real relief. If you want a field, start with the solid range that matches — Talavera Solids for Talavera, Santa Barbara Solids for California. Most projects use one of each.

What is the difference between Talavera and California?

Surface and palette. Talavera is flat-glazed and boldly saturated — cobalt, saffron, deep green on white. California is relieved, with a raised cuerda seca line and softer earth tones. They come from the same workshops but read very differently on a wall, so mixing the two in one field is a decision worth making deliberately.

Which solid goes with which pattern?

Talavera Solids use the same glazes as the Talavera patterns; Santa Barbara Solids were formulated alongside California and share its clay body and firing. Staying inside those pairs is the most reliable route to a matched body, colour and surface.

Are these tiles really handmade?

Yes, across all four collections. Every piece is formed by hand and then painted, screened or glazed by hand in Mexico before firing in small batches. The variation that results — in colour depth, glaze movement and edge — is the defining character of the material, not a flaw in it.

How are they sold?

The pattern collections, Talavera and California, are decorative tile and are priced and shipped by the piece, so a border, riser or panel takes exactly the count it needs. The solid collections are field tile. Sizes are nominal across all four, as with all handmade tile, so lay out from measured pieces rather than the call-out.

Can these be used outdoors?

In mild climates, yes — which covers most of California. None of these collections is rated for freeze-thaw regions or submerged applications such as pool interiors and fountain basins. Sheltered patios, entries and courtyards are well within range.

How do I order samples?

Order samples from any of the four collections and see the glaze in your own light — worth doing across a pattern and its matching solid together, since the pairing is the point. For trade pricing, quantity estimates or help choosing, contact sales@alexanderjames.shop.

The Collection