Our Handmade Pottery and Handcrafts

As proprietors of Tropical Pottery Gallery, LLC, we are committed to offering only the very best quality products by personally selecting fine, handmade pottery, handcrafts, and other indoor/outdoor home décor items. We only sell those products we ourselves are willing to purchase and use in our own home. We have found one of the biggest challenges is deciphering between what we personally like and determining if it is something our customers would like. In other words, we tend to like anything deemed to be made of good quality.

It should be noted, however, that because our products are produced by hand, it is possible that natural imperfections may be found. Although such imperfections are very minor, this is a natural tendency of the craftsmanship and is what makes each product special and unique. We fully back each and every product sold and invite you to contact us directly if you are concerned about the overall quality of any product purchased from Tropical Pottery Gallery. We believe in exceeding our customer’s expectations and will make every reasonable effort to ensure our customers are completely satisfied with each purchase from Tropical Pottery Gallery.

Some of our products may be delicate and require special care for use and handling. Where necessary, we have provided detailed information and instructions about how best to care for the different products. Please follow the instructions and/or advice carefully and contact us directly if you have any questions

Techniques and Artisans

At Tropical Pottery Gallery, we take pride in offering a wide variety of different kinds of fine pottery, handcrafts, and hand-woven hammocks imported from Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. All of the pottery techniques are extremely refined and we work with some of the best and well known artisans those countries. Following is detailed information about the different types of pottery and techniques as well as interesting points about the artisans that produce our handcrafts.

Barro Talavera (Talavera Pottery)

The beautiful bright colored Talavera pottery is originally from Spain and Puebla (Mexico) but the technique has been imported into the area of Tlaquepaque and Tonala. More specifically, many artisans selling their Talavera pottery in Tlaquepaque and Tonala have their workshops in Dolores Hidalgo, in the Mexican state of Guanajuato.

Our exquisite selection of Talavera pieces was selected from Talavera Mercado in Tonala where the artisans Margarita Corona and Celso Mercado have their store. Like most others that craft Talavera, they have their workshop in Dolores Hidalgo.

Talavera is made by mixing two kinds of clay that are left to stand while the moisture evaporates. The clay is then kneaded by the potters with their feet. Next the pieces are placed manually on a pottery wheel or in a mold and they dry for a period of eight to twelve weeks. Once the pieces are completely dry, they are heated at a temperature of 850 degrees Celsius. It is at that point the color changes to the typical color of clay. Next the pieces are submerged in varnish to give them the glossy texture and color of an authentic piece of Talavera pottery. When the pieces are glazed, they are then painted by hand with special mule hair brushes. They are decorated with mineral-based paints that allow them to remain outside without losing that special glossy texture and beautifully bright colors.

Barro Brunido Tradicional (Traditional Polished Clay)

This technique owes its name to the process by which each piece obtains a nice smooth and shiny appearance by first polishing it with a stone and then with a mineral called a pyrite.

Jose Luis Cortez of Tonala, Jalisco, Mexico, has been making this traditional polished clay for 18 years. After each piece of pottery is finished, it is polished naturally with a special metallic stone called a pirita, which is originally from Sacatecas, Mexico. This is one of the oldest techniques of pottery making that has been in existence since the 14th Century. Each piece is made completely by hand and the decorations on the pieces are specially shaped. The clay that is used is an alloy mix of two types of clay that are smooth white clay and black clay. The mixing of the two types of clay results in a high quality and durability. These types of clay are brought from the Coyu and San Gaspar regions of Mexico.

The time required just to shape a piece approximately 40 centimeters by 34 centimeters takes about three hours. Then the piece is polished with stones from the local river and painted by hand. Painting the piece takes about four days.

Tecnica Barro Canelo Tradicional (Traditional Cinnamon Clay Technique)

The Canelo technique gets its name from the cinnamon color of the pieces that comes from the dirt that is used in the clay that is found in Jalisco, Mexico.

The clay is obtained in the town of El Rosario and is made naturally by hand to give the desired shape. It takes about 12 to 15 weeks to make the famous pottery done by the Pajarito family.

Senor Nicasio Pajarito and his son (Zenon) and his daughter (Isabel) have been making pottery utilizing this technique for 45 years. They have participated in the San Pedro National Fair since 1980. Their pieces have won various prizes at the Fair and can be seen at the Museo del Premio Nacional de la Ceramica Pantaleon Panduro.

We met Zenon in his workshop and watched as he was beginning a new piece. As shown in the photo, the first thing to be done when beginning a new piece is to take a big piece of clay and extend it out on the dirt floor. Then he stomps on it in bare feet to ensure he gets rid of any air pockets that could contaminate the clay.

The pieces made by the Pajarito family are one of a kind and they are made from different types of clay including white, black, and red. They are made with extreme care and attention to detail that result in the visible beautiful decoration and perfection of the pieces once they are completed.

Tecnica Barro Petatillo (Petatillo Pottery)

The Petatillo technique is one of the oldest and most elaborate types of Mexican pottery whose signature quality cannot be compared to any other type of Mexican pottery. The level of difficulty, the patience required, and the attention to intricate detail needed to craft Petatillo pottery is truly remarkable. The name Petatillo comes from the clayware’s painted white lines that crisscross each other in a style reflective of the woven straw mats called petates. The complexity of this style of pottery requires that craftsmen use very small and fine paint brushes to give each piece the detail that makes this pottery so elaborate and eloquent.

The Petatillo pottery offered by Tropical Pottery Gallery is made completely by hand and signed by Senor Jose Reyes Aguirre Corona who has been a craftsman for more than 40 years. He is also one of only a handful of master Petatillo craftsmen still making Petatillo in Tonala.

Lupitas, Charros, y Charras

These elaborately handcrafted Lupita dolls make an excellent accessory for any home. These Lupitas are collectibles and include at least 31 different Lupitas. Tropical Pottery Gallery currently offers 8 different Lupitas with future plans to offer every Lupita that is crafted. Lupita is a traditional Mexican name and represents the typical Mexican working woman out in the countryside.

Each Lupita, Charro, and Charra doll is intricately made and painted by hand in a home workshop of the Jarero family of Tonala. They have been making these Lupita, Charro, Charra dolls in Tonala since 1996. Each doll is made by 8 different artisans, each with a different job in making the doll

Tecnica Indigena Huichol de Chaquira

This incredibly detailed and time intensive technique of making wooden figures with brilliantly colored beads is done by the Huichole or Charitari Indians found in the northern part of Jalisco state in the towns of San Andres, Santa Catalina, and San Sebastian.

The first step used in the Chaquira technique is to carve a figure out a piece of pine wood. Then tiny little beads made of bright colors are attached using a natural glue to hold the beads in place on the figure. Each figure takes approximately five to eight days to make and are all handmade

Tecnica Hilo de Agodon

Beautifully bright colored pictures depicting the daily life of Mexican Indians are made using a technique called Hilo de Algodon (Cotton Threads). The first step is for the artist to think of an image of their daily life since the artists do not use any type of pre-made molds. This is done purely by the imagination. Vibrantly colored cotton threads are used to create each section of the picture. The cotton threads are glued to a wood board using the same natural glue used in the Chaquira Technique. The original pieces of this technique contain a written summary of the meaning of each picture. This is included on the back of the picture that is not framed. Each picture takes approximately eight days to craft and is also done completely by hand. While similar figures or pictures may be available, each one is totally unique and different from any other one due to the placement of the colorful threads.

Paper Mache (Export Quality)

There are several different quality types of paper mache products found in Tonala, Mexico. However, Tropical Pottery Gallery only offers these exquisite products made of the very best quality referenced as “export quality.” These high quality Paper Mache products are made by taking a base of clay, molding it in plaster, covering it in newspaper, and then hand painting the piece. The final step is to coat the piece with acrylic to give each piece its incredibly shiny appearance.

Nicaraguan Pottery and Crafts

Sr. Miguel Angel Calero is one of the most famous artisans of San Juan de Orient, Nicaragua. He is known world wide for his fine quality pottery that he shows at various arts and crafts fairs primarily in Europe. His family has passed the art of making contemporary style and pre-colombian style pottery down from generation to generation for approximately two hundred years. His workshop and showroom are located at his residence in San Juan de Oriente where he showcases his masterpieces to national and international visitors.

Sr. Valentin Lopez is a master artisan famous in San Juan de Oriente for his beautiful pottery. In addition to his workshop, he has his own pottery school where he has taught many of the famous artisans producing pottery in San Juan de Oriente. He opened his school in 1984. He has also participated in national and international artisan fairs in Latin America, and he occasionally teaches art courses at universities in the United States.

Hand Woven 100 Percent Cotton Hammocks

The Suazo family is the most famous family in Masaya and perhaps all of Central America for their incredible ability in crafting hand woven hammocks. The hammocks selected by Tropical Pottery Gallery are made of 100 percent cotton from El Salvador. The wooden support pieces are made completely of solid wood.

We were fortunate enough to meet Sr. Oscar Suazo who has been making his world-reknown hammocks for nearly 60 years with his sons. Each hammock takes at least 10 hours to produce.

One feature that distinguishes these quality hammocks from other hammocks is the tremendous attention to detail that goes into making the gorgeous skirts of the hammocks. There are six different types of skirts that may or may not include tassels

Panama Wounan-Embera Arts

In the dense rainforest of the Darien that separates Panama from Colombia, there are two indigenous groups native to the area. Both the Wounaan and Embera Indians of the Darien are master artisans that are reknown for their fine handmade baskets and Tagua carvings. The women are famous for their carefully hand woven baskets and the men craft the cocobolo (bald) wood and Tagua carvings. The hand woven baskets are made using natural fibers found in the rainforest. Since a variety of extracts from plants and earth are combined with using dead fibers to weave the baskets, it is very rare to find two baskets that are alike. These original designs generally portray daily life in the village, local animals and insects, or plant life. It should be noted that proceeds from these lovely baskets reduces the need to destroy the rainforest for agricultural purposes.

Tagua

Tagua is the seed of several kinds of palm trees that grow in tropical rainforests. It is commonly referred to as Ivory Nut or Vegetable Ivory. Before Tagua was replaced by plastic in the 1930s, large quantities of Tagua were exported by tropical countries to markets such as the United States and Europe. It was used primarily for making buttons and jewelry and European fashion designers still use Tagua for making buttons. Unlike similar products made from animal ivory, Tagua products help conserve rare and endangered species of the rainforest.