Lladro Pottery – The Inspiring History of Lladro Pottery
In the mid-1950’s in Almacera near the city of Valencia, on Spain’s Eastern Mediterranean coast, a small family workshop was born—Lladro pottery and figurines. Three brothers Juan, Jos and Vicente decided to dedicate their free time to making ceramics as a means of improving their prospects for the future.
As a first step, brothers Juan, Jos and Vicente enrolled in the Valencia School of Arts and Crafts. They studied drawing and painting, while the youngest brother, Vicente, took up sculpture. To put their new knowledge into practice, they built a Moorish-style kiln in the patio of thier parents’ home. They began manufacturing and selling their first Lladro pottery on the local market. Meanwhile, they had started to design and produce their own collectible figurines in porcelain.
Later they moved to an Almacera, Lladro pottery markets its creations in over one hundred countries around the world. The grand tradition of Lladro porcelain making is to continue preserving artistic techniques of classic 18th-century European styles and to reach back to China's millennial heritage which has given us some of the most delicate works of art in history.
Perhaps China's greatest gift to the world was the way it combined simple clay with "secret ingredients" to generate a material which was both beautiful and practical: porcelain. It is believed that porcelain first appeared during the Tang dynasty (618-906). It’s a good thing that with the artistic skills and talent of the Lladro brothers, they have created a masterpieces through the Lladro porcelain figurines and pottery.
European royalty viewed porcelain as a highly desirable luxury product, a fitting way to pay them homage. The Lladro pottery’s market looked insatiable. Meanwhile, in Vienna, Venice and other European cities, attempts were being made to create what was to become European collectible porcelain.
The brothers created their own formula for porcelain paste and refined their manufacturing techniques on all fronts: pigments, molds, varnishes, and firing times, resulting in pieces that not only incorporate great beauty, but emphasize quality of the highest kind. One of the reasons why the Lladro pottery is considered costly, hence the luxury.
The Lladro brothers have played the role of the men of mastery, they have been mentors to disciples who have become inspired artists, and they have guided the steps of many talented people who have joined the staff. Lladro pottery creations are born in this inspiring atmosphere existing in Porcelain City, Spain. Many themes can be turned into a new figurine. With their special feel for art, the Lladro family inspires their sculptors and collaborators to transform thier stripped idea into a fine work of art with the use of porcelain.
Lladro first started creating items such as vases and jugs and later moved on to producing sculptures in 1956. It was because of this move that they became most famous for their porcelain figurines. Enthusiasm for the items produced by the Lladro brothers saw their small workshop expand several times until eventually they moved to Tavernes Blanques in 1958.
Now, Lladro is far from the family workshop that started in the family home’s patio. The fame of Lladro pottery and figurines has reached both ends of the world and will continue to be a huge part of collector’s porcelain pottery and figurines.
