Toltec pottery was produced by the pre-Columbian Mesoamerican Toltec culture. They ruled over central Mexico from about 900 to 1200 CE. Toltec ceramics were widely traded items during the reign of the Toltec culture. They were typically made with clay, in orange-ware as well as red-on-buff colors. Plumbate is a common type of Toltec pottery and is considered the only vitrified pre-Columbian pottery. Toltec-style ceramics are often decorated with human or animal effigies. 

The Toltec culture dominated Central Mexico during the early post-classic period of Mesoamerican chronology, from about 900 to 1200 CE. Tula, Hidalgo was the Toltec capital, where artisans and potters produced culturally and artistically rich ceramics. The Toltec art and architecture were influenced by Teotihuacan as well as the ancient Olmec culture. 

The Toltecs were the cultural and intellectual predecessors of the Aztecs and were considered highly civilized. The Aztec culture used the word "Toltec" as a synonym for civilized, cultured, artist, and artisan. 

The Toltec capital Tula was an important political center during 900-1200 CE. From Tula, the Toltecs dominated over their neighbors militarily. The Toltecs were a warrior culture, with ruthless gods who demanded sacrifices. Their art reflected this, and there are many depictions of gods, warriors, and priests in Toltec art. Tula de Allende, home to the Tula archeological site, is noted for its Atlantean figures--massive statues of Toltec warriors. In addition, the Toltecs created another art form, the Chacmool, also known as the reclining character or the standard-bearer. 

The famous Tula capital was an important artistic center. Archeologists have found thousands of pieces of Toltec pottery, some intact but mostly broken shards, at archeological sites in Tula de Allende. These artifacts revealed that the Toltecs produced various ceramic types, including remarkable faces with buff colors. Furthermore, these excavations confirmed that Toltec vessels were popular items for burials and offerings. 

During the height of the Toltec civilization, plumbate pottery was a distinctive style. Plumbate ware vases or jars are distinguishable by their attractive glassy luster. The luster is produced by covering the vessel in a slip high in iron and aluminum content and then firing the pot at high temperatures. These jars were often modeled into human or animal effigies. Thus, they were a unique component in the repertoire of Mesoamerican art. When the Toltec civilization rose to power, plumbate ware was produced on the Pacific Coast of Chiapas or Guatemala. Nonetheless, its appearance at Tula showed how extensive the Toltec trade networks were and how desirable plumbate pottery was. 

Toltec ceramics are pre-Columbian items originating from historical Mesoamerican regions in Mexico. Archeologists have dated these ceramics from about 900 to 1200 CE. Plumbate pottery is stylistically associated with the Toltec culture. Clay vessels with human or animal effigies are common forms of Toltec ceramics. Face depictions, bowls, jars, vases, figurines in red, orange, and buff colors are typical of Toltec pottery. Toltec pottery is a unique pre-Columbian art form that inspired succeeding Mesoamerican cultures such as the Aztecs. 

Today, Toltec pottery is displayed in the National Museum of Anthropology in Hidalgo, Mexico, the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, the Sala Histórica Quetzalcóatl by the Secretary of Culture in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico, the Metropolitan Museum in New York, and other museums and cultural institutions. They are also acquired and sold by private collectors. In addition, replicas of Toltec statues such as the Atlantean warriors and the Chacmool figures remain popular Mesoamerican tourist pottery pieces.

The individual potters of Toltec are unknown, and Toltec ceramics are not likely to have identifiable manufacturers' marks. Therefore, a detailed provenance is often the best method of authentication.