After you go to the premiere mecca for talavera ceramics, the venerable Uriarte, Calle 4 Poniente 911, where you will find the most extraordinary authenticated DO4 masterpieces in the city, take a taxi or a hike to the other side of town to the Parian. Ask for the factory of Talavera Armando (they own practically the entire street) where you will find the chief manager. I went in and after looking at the beautiful wares (some of them DO4 and most of them of ‘colonial’) I asked if they had a seconds room. The question is: Hay una sala de segundas? Stephen and I were led to the shop next door, where our salesman unlocked a door at the back of the shop labeled ‘no admittance’ and let us in. The floors were covered in boxes filled with ceramics, as were floor to ceiling stacked shelves. It is a hunter and gatherers heaven. Of course, the quest for any bargain shopper worth her salt is to discover the great finds, the treasures, hidden admidst the lower quality goods. Here was no exception. The salesman was joined by two others who wanted to practice their English (one was starting University of Florida in the fall), and they pitched in to help us find DO4 quality plates and bowls. The discount goes from 30-50 percent! Well worth the trouble and the fun of discovery!
Of note: Uriarte has a seconds room only at Christmas time, which I discovered on this trip after asking, since when I had visited in December there was an entire area devoted to beautiful pieces that had big discounts.
Below are photos I took at the Uriarte showroom. No time for photos at Talavera Armando — too much shopping to do!
