Talavera is regulated by a council in Mexico in order to keep the art in its original state. The Talavera Regulatory Council has put forth many regulations that artisans must follow in order for their Talavera to be considered genuine. Some of these regulations are listed below. Here is the link to the original document in Spanish:
http://www.economia.gob.mx/work/normas/noms/1998/132scfi.pdf
Regulations:
1) The Talavera studio must be located in the Talavera Zone which contains the City of Puebla and its bordering towns.
2) The clay used to make the Talavera must be sourced from the Talavera geographic zone.
3) Talavera must be hand painted.
4) The clay must be mixed with water.
5) Talavera must be made of a mix of two clays, black clay and white clay.
6) Talavera must be hand formed with a potter's wheel or using molds, not poured.
7) The oven in which the Talavera is fired must reach a minimum of 800 degrees Celsius.
8) Talavera must go through two firings.
9) Six color pigments and the combinations of those colors can be used for the elaboration of the Talavera.
There are many more regulations in order for a studio to claim its spot as a certified Talavera studio. While some of these regulations seem very reasonable and are basically quality control measures, others seem slightly ridiculous. For example, the studio must be located in the Talavera zone in order for the Talavera to be real. This seems that Talavera is limiting its growth. However, many Talavera studios have popped up in other parts of Mexico and they seem to being fairly good. The Talavera from these regions is typically less expensive but that doesn't speak of its quality. In order to determine the quality of Talavera, each individual studio must be taken into account.
At La Casa Mexicana, we do not sell Certified Talavera. We do however sell high-quality Talavera which is made in Puebla, Mexico. http://www.lacasamexicana.us/mexican-talavera-pottery.htm