Longhorn Sculpture | Talavera Turquoise

Reimagine what original wall art could be. Our Oversized Turquoise Talavera Longhorn sculptures will give your walls splash of color and artisanal authenticity. Individual bull horn sculptures are molded from dense and durable ceramic. Hand painted by highly skilled and free thinking Talavera artisans of Central Mexico. Individually hand painted with a mixture of intricate geometric, floral, and cultural patterns inspired by traditional Talavera & Majolica artistry. Over a dozen vibrant colors and detailed patterns cover the entire skull and flow out and contrast the turquoise horns with black tips. Since Talavera longhorns are "free hand painted" this means no stencil is used. Overall patterns will vary slightly from piece to piece allowing each sculpture to be an original work of art.

Safe for outdoor display. Since each Longhorn sculpture undergoes multiple kiln bakes at very high heat with additional glazing process. A complex artisan procedure, the end result is durable work of art that resilient to rain, sun, and temperature fluctuation. More on the process of creation below.

Dimensions and Specifications.
• Included- 1 mounting bracket custom-made for each sculpture.
• 42"wide *distance between the tips of horns. / 107cm wide
• 15"high *from bottom portion to tip of either horn. / 38cm high
• 7"deep *total depth when mounted or laying flat. / 18cm depth
*Measurements may vary .5"- 1" from piece to piece
• Total weight 10Lbs / 4Kg. *weight may vary .5Lb.
• Total girth measurement over 80"in

Included with each Sculpture is just the right hook.
Over several years of testing various hooks & brackets, we found no device in the marketplace that met our standards for securely mounting these sculptures. So we decided to make our own custom bracket. Included with each sculpture is a solid steal bracket that is heated  and manipulated to secure the obscure shape, counter the weight when suspended, while protecting the ceramic interior. While these hooks have met our standards we suggest consulting a professional for proper installation.

Our Large Talavera Longhorn sculptures are available in 3 different patterns. Shop the Azules and the Talavera Red patterns by clicking their title.

The Artisan Process Behind Creating Captivating Wall Art.

This oversized ceramic wall-hanging sculpture is hand sculpted from clay that is then high-fired in a large kiln. The ceramic sculpture goes through two step kiln-fire process. The 1st bake allows the raw clay / terracotta to dry and harden before it is hand-painted with lead free natural paint. The 2nd bake is done in high-fire kiln with protective glaze that is applied before final bake. The glaze coat is natural silica glass, when baked in a high-fire kiln where temperatures reach 1500º - 1800ºF the glaze layer bonds to ceramic on a molecular level making both clay and glaze inseparable and impenetrable to water and other elements. This high firing process allows the Cow Skull to be completely safe for outdoor display year-round. Artisan sculpted and completely hand painted Talavera patterns that may vary slightly.

Talavera. A Complex and Composite Cultural Art-form.

Areas of Central Mexico like where our Tierra studio is located, within the state of Guanajuato have high quality natural clay which is pulled from the earth and used to create all of our Terracotta molds.

Once the various molds are kiln dried the artisans then use a fusion of both Talavera and Majolica painting techniques to embellish our sculptures, bowls, pots and more with vibrantly colored geometric and floral patterns. Both Talavera and Majolica painting techniques originated in Spain but greatly expanded when brought to Mexico and have continued grow with every new generation of artisans since the 16th century. The Tierra Collection celebrates this artisan tradition and every piece of Earthenware we create is lead free, intended to be used and enjoyed both indoor or outdoor.
Talavera style is a popular Mexican style used by crafters from Puebla, Tlaxcala, Atlixco, Cholula, and Tecali. The indicator colors of this Mexican style is usually blue and white, but in recent decades artisans have added yellow, black, green, orange, and mauve to the style color palette. The color palette is made with natural pigments to get the right shades for the pottery.