Talavera, WHAT is it??

It is a Spanish Botijo. Made in Mexico. A botija is a clay pot that is used to cool water. On one side is the handle, the mouth is for the filling while the opposite is the spout that glides the stream of water to drink from it. But yours would pour all over the place so I think it is sorta a joke pot. Funny !!!

Multi-spouted Botijo vessels are actually quite common. A botijo with several spouts is meant for family use. Once filled with water and covered with a cheese cloth or other mesh (for bug-prevention), the vessel is placed in a shady area, especially a place like a cultivated garden, one that is regularly watered and so already cooler than its surroundings. After a few hours, it will proceed to cool the water quite measurably. The multiple spouts are for multi-use, with each person having his or her own from which to drink. It takes a bit of getting used to, but one is never supposed to allow one's lips to touch the spout. Instead, as with a wine pouch, you are supposed to hold it a few centimeters above your mouth, then simply allow the water to flow into your mouth. Touching one's lips to a spout is not only considered to be in very poor taste, it is both unsanitary and, because of the pressure, it will SPEW out of any spouts not being used. Even a one or two spout botijo can take a lot of practice, though, so one ought always be prepared to get wet the first few times it is used. In fact, on especially hot days, being spewed by all that wonderful cool water can be half the fun of using one!

Multi-spouted Botijo vessels are actually quite common. A botijo with several spouts is meant for family use. Once filled with water and covered with a cheese cloth or other mesh (for bug-prevention), the vessel is placed in a shady area, especially a place like a cultivated garden, one that is regularly watered and so already cooler than its surroundings. After a few hours, it will proceed to cool the water quite measurably. The multiple spouts are for multi-use, with each person having his or her own from which to drink. It takes a bit of getting used to, but one is never supposed to allow one's lips to touch the spout. Instead, as with a wine pouch, you are supposed to hold it a few centimeters above your mouth, then simply allow the water to flow into your mouth. Touching one's lips to a spout is not only considered to be in very poor taste, it is both unsanitary and, because of the pressure, it will SPEW out of any spouts not being used. Even a one or two spout botijo can take a lot of practice, though, so one ought always be prepared to get wet the first few times it is used. In fact, on especially hot days, being spewed by all that wonderful cool water can be half the fun of using one!