Spencers Jewellers » Lladro
Brief introduction and history:
 Juan,
Jose and Vicente Lladro were born to a modest farming family
in Almacera, a village just outside of Valencia, Spain.
The Lladro brothers gained recognition locally when they
began selling their porcelain products, specifically the
flowers, to local manufacturers to be placed on lamps and
vases as decorative items. The immediate growth in the 1960's
afforded the opportunity to build what is now called the
City if Porcelain in Valencia, Spain. It is home to some
2500 Lladro employees and is the International Headquarters
for the company.
The Lladro inspiration comes from Literature, History,
Legend, Nature, Mythology, Religion, Tradition.... and life.
"We want our works to be elegant, expressive, to ooze
life and have feelings.
We want them to reflect the fine side of existence, the
positive values of human beings, everything that dignifies
life". Lladro.
To start your search for Lladro Figurines - Follow the
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About the products
Finishes
Glaze:
If a piece is to have the glazed finish, it is taken to
a spray booth and set on a turntable and the pale blue glaze
is sprayed on evenly, hiding all colour. Once fired, the glaze
crystallises and the colours reappear with the shiny finish
recognised in Lladro.
Matte:
There are a few pieces in the matte finish. Matte pieces
are either painted or unpainted figurines fired without the
shiny glaze.
Flowers
Highly skilled artisans called Flower-Makers hand make
the signature Lladro flowers, petal by petal from small bits
of coloured clay.
- Large flowers are created from the outside in.
- Smaller ones are created from the inside out.
- Stamens and pistills are bits of coloured clay forced
through micro-screens to create textures true to nature.
- Each flower is precisely placed into a predetermined position
on the piece and secured by using the same porcelain paste
used to create the figurines themselves.
- Flowers are placed on the figurine after the glaze has
been applied.
- Glazing properties are mixed into the clay, not sprayed
on as with the figurines
Firing - The Kiln
- Each piece is studies to make sure all sections of the
figurine are supported and each has enough room during firing.
- A small hole is placed on the base of the piece in order
to prevent combustion during firing. Sometimes a small particle
of clay will be pushed inside the piece and is ultimately
fired, making a "rattle" which is what Jose Lladro
once referred to as a "Lladro bell".
- Figurines spend over 20 hours in the kiln and are "cooked"
at over 2500F.
- Once the piece has survived the test of fire it has reduced
its size by 18%-20%.
More on the Company
For more information on the Lladro company and products,
visit the official Lladro website on www.lladro.com
When the three brothers, several decades ago, began to
mould their first, humble, creations in clay, they brought
together their personal experiences, turning them into something
living with an essentially human meaning. The small workshop
became a large company, the sculptures were perfected, gaining
artistic importance, but the message nevertheless remained
the same.
Today, like before, the three founding brothers are present
in the day-to-day activities of the company, giving support
both to the entrepreneurial management that always followed
an innovative line, and to the creation of the sculptures.
To ensure continuity for their creative work, the brothers
soon encouraged their children to follow in their path.
After a complete all-round education, the second generation
gradually prepared themselves to take on responsibilities
and face the complex tasks involved in managing an international
company. In 1984, three of the children of the founders,
one for each brother, joined the Board of Administration.
Little by little, other members of the second generation
have also joined the company.
Since September 2003, two children of each of the founding
brothers are now on the Board of Administration: David and
Juan Vicente for Vicente, Mamen and Maria Jose for Jose,
and Rosa and Maria Angeles for Juan. The board is presided
by Juan Vicente Lladro.
The new Lladro generation faces the future with
the same outlook of ongoing progress as their fathers, keeping
the flame of their artistic and human legacy alive.
Lladro was founded in 1953 when Juan, Jose,
and Vicente, three brothers born of local farmers and endowed
with great artistic talent, formed a small family company
in the Valencian village of Almácera, Spain. Since
then, Lladro has undergone an amazing metamorphosis
from an artisan workshop to a huge firm of international
scope enjoying continual growth. The company management
has remained in the hands of the Lladro family, the
owners of the firm, since its inception.
The creative team started out by adapting styles from past
eras, but it was not long before certain characteristics
appeared that would soon shape what was to become the unique
Lladro style.
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