Majolica Chocolate Jar, late 18th century. Artist unknown, Puebla, Mexico. Glazed earthenware with iron lid: 13" x 8". Gift from the Estate of Mrs. H.P. Drought		6 of 11
		MAJOLICA CHOCOLATE JAR here was a thriving ceramics industry in Mexico before the arrival of the Spanish, but the potter’s wheel and use of glazes were unknown. By introducing both, the Spanish radically changed the ceramics of the Americas. Shortly after the Conquest, Spanish ceramicists introduced a glazed pottery known as majolica, similar to that which was produced in Talavera de la Reina and by the potters of Seville in Spain. The city of Puebla became a major center of Talavera-style pottery and remains so today. The blue and white of this majolica piece shows both Moorish and Asiatic influence. The locked lid suggests that this container may have been used to store valuable cacao beans used in the production of chocolate.