Spanish Word for Ceramics

The Spanish word "cerámicos" means ceramics in English.

Over the last few years, the colorful ceramics that Spain is so famous for have become a big marketable business abroad. However, the ceramics in Spain is more than a business, it is a tradition. Earthenware dishes, tiles, vases, and other ceramics with bright colors and beautiful designs have been created and crafted in the Iberian Peninsula for centuries.

The majority of tiles that adorn the walls of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, as well as many houses throughout the southern Andalusia region are heavily influenced by the Arab culture. Islamic religion does not allow the representation of humans in artwork. For that reason many crafts were decorated with flowers and complex geometric patterns.

The typical colors that are used in decoration of ceramics are those associated with the sunny Mediterranean coast such as cobalt blue, deep yellow, red, purple, pink, and white. Since Spanish ceramics are individually hand-spun on a wheel or molded by hand, and then glazed, painted and fired again, it is uncommon to find two pieces that are exactly alike. Because of their bright colors, they make beautiful artworks for the table or the most sublime decoration.