The pattern decorating this skull is inspired by the traditional Mexican pottery Talavera.  This style was originally brought over from Spain by the first families that relocated to the newly colonized land.  They brought tilesmiths, adept at creating "Talavera de la Reina" a pottery style popular in noble households.  The artisans settled mostly in the state of Puebla, producing pottery with designs inspired by Spanish, Italian and Indigenous patterns.  Over the years this pottery had developed into a uniquely Mexican art form, that still exists today.