I purchased a collection of Mexican pottery at the estate sale of a wealthy Seattle couple in approximately 2003. I am guessing that the pieces of the collection were acquired at the same time, sometime in the 1920–1940s -- from what I can find online, the more intricate Lucano pieces came earlier (and I judge these, based on absolutely no authority, to be more richly designed), whereas pieces created in the later '40s and '50s had simpler designs in order to be produced quicker to meet the growing demand of tourists. The majority of the pieces (with the exception of a few of the smaller ones) are all marked on the bottom with the Lucano family workshop address at 131 Independencia, Tlaquepaque, Jal. A number of the pieces are signed by the artist. They are all "matched," motif-wise (foliage/flowers, churches, deer, birds, people, some surprise celestial figures), and feature Lucano's signature petatillo style. The colors are so vibrant (we sampled some of them to paint our dining room!). The majority of the pieces are in excellent to good condition, though there are a few pieces with chips, glaze imperfections. Unfortunately, the gorgeous coffee pot's spout is broken off. Here is some additional information, found on Collectors Weekly: THE BEGINNING The early 20th century gave rise to Mexican tourism with the new roads allowing Americans easy access to Mexican towns. Two major stopping points at the time were just outside the second largest city of Mexico, Guadalajara and its neighboring pottery communities of San Pedro, Tlaquepaque, and Tonala. This was an immense thriving artistic center of pottery with a 400-year tradition in the region. Tlaquepaque was known for its shops and studios set up for the outside visitor. THE POTTERY The highly decorative pottery was twice fired clay that was dipped in a tin and lead oxide bath for its second high firing resulting in a shiny glaze. The glaze is off white to slightly yellow. This glaze was a technique created in the 16th century by other cultures colonizing Mexico. Tlaquepaque is the common word used for the glazed pottery depicting everyday imagery and landscape of the times of Old Mexico. It is sought out by many antique and Mexican folk art collectors today due to its highly collected style, petatillo. Petatillo is the technique believed to be created by Balbino Lucano. Once the illustration is painted on the piece the empty space in the background is filled with tightly drawn lines or crosshatching. This adds a beautiful visual texture. This crosshatch is named after the straw mats they resemble, petats. THE FAMILY The Lucano family has one of the strongest legacies in Mexican ceramics of the 20th century. They started their shop in 1906, and there they created their works of art and passed down their art and techniques for generations through to today. It is still owned by Balbino Lucano's daughter and husband, but they now only sell from the shop.

The collection includes: 1) 8 larger plates (10") 2) 4 smaller plates (8"; one with significant damage; the rest in good shape) 3) 6 bowls with two handles (6" diameter; one has a broken handle; a few chips) 4) 5 small/shallow serving dishes (6" diameter) 5) 1 adorable serving dish with a single handle (6" diameter, gorgeous shape) 6) 1 incredible wide/shallow serving platter (8" x 17.5"; beautiful condition) 7) "Casserole" covered serving dish (depth = 5"; diameter = ~ 11 "; the vessel itself is in perfect shape, with super motifs, bright/unfaded colors and glaze; something happened to the lid -- the glaze/motifs are dulled, as if someone put it in the dishwasher by mistake) 8) Adorable coffee set, with a coffee pot (broken spout), three coffee cups in good condition, a small lidded sugar bowl and creamer set, also in good condition.