NOVICA, in association with National Geographic, offers thousands of limited edition and one-of-a-kind gifts, jewelry, and home decor treasures handmade by master artists and artisans throughout the world. Tones of blue, green, yellow and red combine joyously in the floral matrix of this vase. Rendered in the brilliance of Talavera style, its natural ambiance will fill any room with an exalted sense of life. The work of the Castillo Family represents part of the cultural and historical values of the state of Guanajuato, where they elaborate their treasured craft. Each piece is a laborious affair between the artisan and carefully selected clay, ensuring quality rather than quantity. Once the desired shape is achieved, the surface is prepared in a mineral glaze and fired in a brick kiln. Patience and artistic virtue results in a captivating rendition of Talavera ceramics. Artisan Info: The Castillo family's artistry has been featured in periodicals ranging from Sunset magazine to The Cincinnati Inquirer. The Castillo family has many years of experience hand-crafting Talavera-style ceramics in Guanajuato, Mexico. Their workshop seeks to rescue this traditional, world-renowned ceramic style. Although true Talavera ceramics are made only in the city of Puebla, the techniques are also practiced by artisans in Guanajuato. Talavera dates from the colonial period when Spanish priests taught indigenous peoples to craft ceramics using Majolica techniques. Over the centuries, Talavera evolved