.webp)
The first record of Fajalauza in a written document dates back to 1517 when an ollero – a potter – filed a legal complaint against a tax hike levied after the fall of the Moorish city of Granada to the Christians in 1492. The Reconquista, the expulsion of Moorish rulers from the country, changed the very fabric of Spain – its demographic, its culture, and form of governance. It also changed the way Andalusian artisans made pottery.
Fajalauza olleros made the most of their new environment. They collected clay along the Beiro River andwater from Aynadamar Canal. They used scorpion broom and rosemary shrubs from the nearby hills to make fuel for to bake their ceramic pieces.
Over time, Fajalauza ceramics became part of the ajuar or furnishings of every household, especially before the arrival of running water and the mass production of plastic. Large basins or lebrillo walls were used for personal hygiene as well as for cooking. Nowadays, they are often displayed in stunning lebrillo wall decorations.
In those days, stoneware was passed down from generation to generation. If a piece broke, a lañero would mend it with wires and rivets.
We still make our Fajalauza Collection in a small family workshop.
Though we still produce the traditional colors – cobalt blue, copper green – our artisans have updated the palette to include 18 colorways.
Fajalauza stoneware usually features vegetal motifs like the pomegranate or granada, birds, Moorish-style geometric patterns and heraldry.
We have remained loyal to the iconography, sourcing inspiration from museums, archives and antiques.
