Within thousands of beautifully patterned ceramic, Mexican tiles made by our skilful artisans, some stands out for their extraordinary and complex prints. If you are looking for an antique look with harmonious and geometrical forms and lines that will draw the attention to selected areas, you should definitely discover the Moorish ceramic tiles that belong to the rich and centuries-old Spanish culture. Take in mind that Spain was home to diverse cultures that nourished from each other and even expanded to other continents in the colonial times.


Nowadays, the Talavera ceramic art is commonly understood as both Mexican and Spanish ceramic. Our Talavera products (tiles, toilets and sinks) captivate thousands of homeowners that on occasion asked us about the origin of some of our most intricate designs that include complex mosaics and non-figurative prints. As much as many of current patterns are inspired by the Mexican culture, landscapes and color palette, those particular designs came from Medieval Spain but were actually created by the Muslim civilisation that reigned in the Iberian Peninsula for more than eight centuries. Moorish ceramic tiles were appropriated by the art and architecture of Spain and today are part of lush and plentiful cultural heritage. If you ever visit Granada or Sevilla in Spanish Andalucia province, you will be amazed by the unparalleled beauty of Moorish designs found in Alhambra palace, in the mosques and the public architecture. Some geometric designs that came from Islamic art and often built on combinations of repeated squares and circles, you can find in our hand-painted Mexican tiles. However, Mexican artists would never copy any idea literally. Some as Spain, the local ceramic masters appropriated the general idea of the Moorish ceramic tiles but with a vivid and energetic twist on it, using bolder patterns and striking, vivid hues. Just have a look at our Mexican high relief tile “Graciela” that blends both, Arabic and Mexican art featuring an octagonal design with curving lines inside that interlace and overlap between them. However, a surprising combination of colors embodies the Mexican style in interior decoration.


So, how can you distinguish Moorish ceramic tiles form the rest of the handcrafted, Mexican tiles? Look for geometric patterns as Arabic art tends to avoid figurative images. It was forbidden to create a representation of an Islamic figure according to many holy scriptures. Therefore, Moorish artists founded a way of expressing art by using abstract or even more mathematically designed structures based on squares and circles. Others prints include curing and branching plant forms. This style is often called the arabesque. Check our collections of Mexican color, relief or floor tiles to find the suitable addition to your next home remodelling project.