Doing a little activism here: please don't buy old ones while visiting Portugal/Spain/etc., as they are commonly stolen goods. Thanks, from Lisbon.

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asimovDev 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

I just googled it and apparently these are often chipped of historical buildings and sold as tourist souvenirs. Thanks for informing us

	▲	jcmfernandes 5 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Indeed, it's sad. They are staple here in Portugal, covering entire buildings. Beautiful examples: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3BK1BoMVsgRY38eG8 and https://maps.app.goo.gl/fquP923g13xtbSxU8

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andrewl-hn 38 minutes ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Meanwhile there are many masters that make these tiles today - I know one personally! - and they all struggle to find clients.

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santiagobasulto 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I'll take advantage of your domain knowledge :) Where's the best place to find local artists that produce them?

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world2vec 5 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Viúva de Lamego is not a "local" artist per se but they're a leading artisanal workshop in classic and contemporary Portuguese tiles. If you have the budget, their tailor-made tiles are something else, imagination is the limit. (source: my dad does a lot of house restorations in Portugal and some require custom tiles to fill in missing/damaged areas)

	▲	rimeice 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		Can second this. Happy customer here. Amazing experience visiting their factory. Seems like a real institution. There were in fact a bunch of artist at the factory working with them there when we visited.

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fcatalan 6 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

In Spain, if you drive 1 h 20 minutes southwest of Madrid you get to Talavera de la Reina, which is a town all about ceramic and pottery:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talavera_de_la_Reina

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jcmfernandes 6 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I would love to help, but it's not my domain. I, unfortunately, witness the side-effects of people stealing them on my day to day. There are many shops in Lisbon that sell them, and there's even a beautiful museum here that it's definitely worth visiting (or signing up for a workshop!): https://museunacionaldoazulejo.gov.pt - it's currently closed for renovation; it should reopen later this year, but that's yet to be confirmed.

When buying - on the streets or in a shop - if it looks old, unless provenance is absolutely clear, please don't.