Lladró () is a Spanish company based in Tavernes Blanques,

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

, that produces high-end lighting, home accessories, decorative sculptures and

porcelain Porcelain (), also called china, is a ceramic material made by heating Industrial mineral, raw materials, generally including kaolinite, in a kiln to temperatures between . The greater strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to oth ...

figurine A figurine (a diminutive form of the word ''figure'') or statuette is a small, three-dimensional sculpture that represents a human, deity or animal, or, in practice, a pair or small group of them. Figurines have been made in many media, with cla ...

History

The company was founded in 1953 by three brothers, Juán, José and Vicente Lladró, in the village of

Almàssera Almàssera is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in the Comarques of the Valencian Community, ''comarca'' of Horta Nord in the Valencia (autonomous community), Valencian Community, Spain. The name is Arabic for "mill", meaning the olive mill ...

near Valencia. Starting with items such as vases and jugs, it wasn't until 1956 that they started producing the sculptures for which they are now known. Interest in the items produced by the Lladró brothers saw their small workshop expand several times until eventually they moved to Tavernes Blanques in 1958. * 1962, the brothers open the Professional Training School at their site in Tavernes Blanques to share their knowledge and experience. * 1969, on 13 October the City of Porcelain was opened by the Spanish Minister for Industry. It took 2 years to build, and currently employs over 2,000 people. * 1970, Lladró begins to use earthenware for some of its sculptures. It has earthy colours and is used frequently in natural themes. * 1973, Lladró buys 50% of the North American company Weil Ceramics & Glass. * 1974, the first blue Lladró emblem, consisting of a bellflower and ancient chemical symbol, appears on the base to show the origin of the sculpture. The Elite Collection is also launched. * 1984, Rosa, Mari Carmen and Juan Vicente Lladró joined the company. Each is a child of each of the founding brothers. They underwent a long apprenticeship before they were permitted responsibility in the company. * 1985, the Collectors’ Society is formed. The first annual sculpture, "Little Pals", can fetch several thousand US dollars at auction due to the small number of members able to purchase it in the early years. * 1986, Lladró forms an alliance with the Mitsui Group creating the subsidiary Bussan Lladró based in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

. * 1988, on 18 September in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

the

Lladró Museum and Gallery Lladró () is a Spanish company based in Tavernes Blanques, Valencia (autonomous community), Valencia, that produces high-end lighting, home accessories, decorative sculptures and porcelain figurines. History The company was founded in 1953 by ...

is opened on 57th Street in Manhattan. * 1993, Lladró receives the Principe Felipe award for internationalisation. * 2001, Lladró Privilege, a new customer loyalty programme, takes over from the Lladró Collectors’ Society. * 2004, Lladró Privilege Gold, becomes a new level of loyalty programme within the Privilege programme. * 2011, Lladró Privilege Society becomes Lladró Gold, in which only one level of membership is offered. * 2013, Lladró expands into the lighting market with Belle De Nuit, a collection of chandeliers, lamps and sconces. * 2013, Lladró releases the first piece in their new Dazzle collection which uses a geometric black and white design. * 2016, PHI Industrial Acquisitions acquires a majority stake in the Lladró Group.

Technique

The manufacturing ingredients are kept closely guarded. The process is detailed in a number of Lladró publications and is on view for tours at the City of Porcelain. Lladró figurines are made of

hard-paste porcelain Hard-paste porcelain, sometimes called "true porcelain", is a ceramic material that was originally made from a compound of the feldspathic rock petuntse and kaolin fired at a very high temperature, usually around 1400 °C. It was first made ...

Marketing

Lladró figurines are given an additional title in English as well as the

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

original, however these names are frequently not translations (figurative or literal) but new names that are more likely to appeal to an English speaking audience. An area for some confusion is that the names of the pieces can change throughout their run so the same figurine may end up with several titles. Lladro Fisherboy Figurine

References

External links

*
Lladró trademarks reference guideLladró Informational Blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lladro Ceramics manufacturers of Spain Porcelain Valencian Community Spanish brands Figurine manufacturers Companies based in the Valencian Community Design companies established in 1953 1953 establishments in Spain Manufacturing companies established in 1953

History

Technique

Marketing

See also

References

External links