Beautiful Lladró Porcelain

The Lladró Brothers Create Porcelain Sculpture that Reveal Human Emotion

Lou Paun

Lladró figurines are among the most beautiful porcelain created today, and their popularity has been growing steadily for half a century. Their popularity will undoubtedly increase as a third generation of the family joins the company. "I intend to make the brand absolutely international in coming years," said David Lladró. The beauty and spirit of Lladró figurines has made them beloved. "We want our works to be elegant, expressive, to exude life and have feelings. We want them to reflect the good side of life, the positive values of human beings, everything that dignifies life," said the Lladró brothers. The beauty of Lladró figurines reveals how successfully they have met their goal.

In 1953, Juan, José and Vicente Lladró built a small Moorish kiln in the courtyard of their family home in Almàssera, a small town near Valencia, Spain. The City of Porcelain stands there today, and about 2000 workers produce Lladro collectible porcelain. Visitors are welcome to tour the factory and view the process, but the exact ingredients of both the hard-paste porcelain and the glazes is a closely-guarded trade secret. The intellectual property rights for Lladro collectible figurines is held by Daisa, another Lladró company. The Lladró brothers opened the Professional Training School at their site in Tavernes Blanques in 1962, ensuring that the quality of Lladro collectible porcelain will remain unmatched.

On January first of each year, some Lladró figurines retired, never to be produced again. New sculptures are also introduced each year. Over 4,000 works have been created since the Lladró brothers began making porcelain, and around 1200 are in production at any time. Every Lladró piece has the company logotype engraved on its base. The form of the maker's mark has changed several times over the years, but all variations can be found at the company's website.

There is a strong secondary market in retired Lladró sculptures. All current and retired Lladró catalogued pieces can be found at the company's website, where the archive can be searched by number code, title, or other data. Lladró Authorized Dealers are also very helpful in identifying retired pieces, and collectors and enthusiasts maintain discussion groups online.

The Lladró family says their "creations reflect the circle of life that sustains us and brings forth our highest emotions; they reveal a world of sentiments and experiences that distinguish what it means to be human." This commitment to the emotional integrity of the sculptures, as well as their admirable technical quality, will make Lladró figurines desirable to collectors for decades to come.


Published by Lou Paun

I'm a retired teacher, a mother, a homeowner . . . and a joyous writer!  View profile

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