The firm Centro Cerámico Talavera was set up in 1992 by Juan Carlos Albarrán Montealegre, Ramón González Colilla and Ana Fernández Pecci. All three are ceramicists who graduated in applied arts, specialising in artistic and industrial ceramics, at the Talavera de la Reina School of… Applied Arts (Toledo province). They set out together to explore, master and promote the tradition of Talaveran ceramics.

Their work centred from the outset on the manufacture of traditional objects, including crockery, tilework, reproductions of antique artefacts, artistic ceramics for architecture and urbanism, collectors’ items, decorative items, etc. As well as producing ceramics, they restore antique objects and historic monuments, and extract, clean and remedy damage in facade ceramics.

The objects they produce are painted wholly by hand by the traditional Talaveran technique (also known as sobrecubierta or mayólica) dating from the 16th century. This starts with the preparation of a clay object using a mould or wheel. The piece is then fired at 1070º and dipped into a fluid consisting of tin, quartz and flux, which dries and wholly covers the clay (hence the name sobrecubierta – covered over). It is then painted with water-based oxides: cobalt for blue, copper for green, manganese for black and purple, iron for brown or orangey tones. The pattern is outlined with a fine brush and a steady hand, and filled in with colour. The object is then fired again at 980º to achieve the final glazed finish.

As a reference for patterns they use stencils in which an outline is marked with fine holes and transferred to the object as the stencil is tapped with a muñequilla rag impregnated with charcoal.

As well as creating wholly traditional pieces they have collaborated with artists and designers in various disciplines, giving form to their designs, and also have organised and taken part in many exhibitions.

Over the years the Centro Cerámico Talavera team have received many awards and recognitions for the quality of their work and their technical prowess.