Tile from La Fortaleza

Tile from La Fortaleza

Usage conditions apply
Downloads
Description
This tile is from La Fortaleza, a military and government complex in San Juan built to defend the city from naval attacks. Construction began in 1533 and was finished in 1540. This tile resembles the Spanish ceramic style of Talavera, a tile factory established in the 16th century near the city of Toledo, Spain. The tiles produced in Spain became widely used and copied throughout the Spanish colonies.
Description (Spanish)
Esta loseta proviene de La Fortaleza, un complejo militar y gubernamental de San Juan, edificado para defender a la ciudad de ataques navales, cuya construcción comenzó en 1533 y concluyó en 1540. El estilo de esta pieza se asemeja al español propio de Talavera, una fábrica de cerámica establecida en el siglo XVI cerca de la ciudad de Toledo, España. La cerámica que se fabricaba en España se utilizó y reprodujo ampliamente a la largo de las colonias españolas.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
tile
Date made
18th century
Place Made
Puerto Rico
Physical Description
ceramic (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 12.9 cm x 13.4 cm; 5 1/16 in x 5 1/4 in
ID Number
1997.0097.0142
accession number
1997.0097
catalog number
1997.0097.0142
Credit Line
Gift of Teodoro Vidal
subject
Puerto Rico
Architecture
See more items in
Home and Community Life: Ethnic
Cultures & Communities
Vidal
Data Source
National Museum of American History
Nominate this object for photography.   

Our collection database is a work in progress. We may update this record based on further research and review. Learn more about our approach to sharing our collection online.

If you would like to know how you can use content on this page, see the Smithsonian's Terms of Use. If you need to request an image for publication or other use, please visit Rights and Reproductions.

Note: Comment submission is temporarily unavailable while we make improvements to the site. We apologize for the interruption. If you have a question relating to the museum's collections, please first check our Collections FAQ. If you require a personal response, please use our Contact page.