Before opening El Bazar Azteca in San Jose three years ago, Teresa Saldana was selling her imported Talavera pottery on street corners out of a van. Even then, the bright colors of the ceramics, instantly recognizable as symbols of Mexican culture, were almost impossible to resist.
“I am probably one of her first customers,” devoted customer Amanda Keith told San José Spotlight. “I kept coming back because of their beautiful display, the quality of the pottery and the pride they take in what they do. They are just spectacular.”
The shop itself was a long time coming. Saldana, a native of Jalisco, Mexico, immigrated to the United States at the age of 20 to raise money to complete her education. For the next 25 years, she held various jobs, including barista, cashier, waitress and porter, all the while maintaining her dream.
“I got married and had four kids,” Saldana told San José Spotlight. “I worked hard and was always thinking that one day I would have something of my own. I wanted to do something that would teach them how to achieve their goals.”
Saldana’s chance came when her brother-in-law, Jorge Vasquez, who makes Talavera pottery in Guanajuato, Mexico, visited California to sell his wares. Saldana saw her opportunity.
“I saw the stuff,” she said, “and I just fell in love with the colors and the beauty. It’s one of the most traditional crafts in Mexico. I saved and saved so one day I could open my store.”
Talavera pottery originated in Spain and was introduced to Mexico in the 16th century. It is instantly recognizable for its mix of floral and animal motifs, as well as its intricate geometric patterns.
“This kind of pottery is expensive because of the quality of the work,” Saldana said. “It is handmade, then hand-painted and put back into the oven at very high temperatures. It comes out shiny, and the glaze is going to last a very long time.”
A more “modern” version of Talavera has an initial light pastel glaze, which is then decorated with heavy swirls of white glaze, giving it a much more subtle yet tactile look and feel.
“The way they do this is totally different,” Saldana said. “It is simpler and much more symbolic. I sell it to younger people who are not as interested in the more colorful stuff.”
Saldana travels to Mexico around eight times a year to purchase items directly, hand-picking every piece to ensure the highest quality of craftsmanship in the ceramics and the finest detail work in the painting.
“I want to see the environment and the way they work,” Saldana said. “I chose the designs and the colors. I like buying directly from the families because my business is with my family as well.”
The travel allows her to offer a wide variety of regional ceramics, such at the coal-black Barro Negro pottery which has been made in Oaxaca for more than 500 years. Artisans polish the clay pots with quartz stones, then emboss them with designs using a variety of unusual tools.
“They use their creativity to find ways to make different designs,” Saldana said. “They could use a fork, a pencil, a lid from a drink and other things that you cannot believe.”
Saldana said the red clay pottery she carries, which is made in Michoacán, more closely resembles everyday kitchenware and is increasing in popularity.
“It was the kind of thing we always used in Mexico,” she said. “Then people started replacing it with the newer stuff. Now people are buying it because they remember their grandmas using it, and it brings memories back.”
Another reminder of an earlier generation is the selection of trasteritos she carries, foot-tall cupboards filled with dollhouse-like versions of items intended for display on a wall.
“When people used to be very poor, they would make their own cabinets like this,” Saldana said. “It represents what would be in a traditional Mexican kitchen or home, and each one is unique.”
Besides the other ceramic items Saldana sells, such as calavera figures, unglazed painted dishes and cups, decorative tiles, planters and garden fountains, the shop also carries alpaca sweaters imported from Chiapas.
Saldana said one of her goals is to bring a little bit of her love of her homeland to the Latino community in San Jose.
“The most important thing in my life is my family,” Saldana said. “We fall in love all together with what we do. After that, it is my pride in being Mexican and being able to share my culture and its beauty here in my shop.”
Contact Robert Eliason at [email protected].
Editor’s Note: The Biz Beat is a series highlighting local small businesses and restaurants in Silicon Valley. Know a business you’d like to see featured? Let us know at [email protected].
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