Lladro

We can source the entire Lladro catalogue, please call or email us on enquiries@jwgwl.cn for further information

. David Shuttle has been a leading retailer of Lladró for some 20 Years. Today, we have a large collection of Lladró figurines and figures which bring you both great choice and value.

As a Lladró Privilege dealer in the UK we offer great customer service, fast delivery and the best value.  The Lladró story is a familiar family affair which began in 1953 with brothers Juan, José and Vicente Lladró. Their first creations were inspired by an experimental vocation with a Moorish furnace built in their own home in Valencia. The 1960's saw the progressive internationalisation of Lladró porcelain when a group of Americans discovered the brothers' creations on a research trip to Valencia looking for new products.

The first sculpture they saw, a small shepherdess, demonstrated the core values of the Lladró brand and captivated the visitors from the very first moment. With this rapid internationalisation during the 1960's the word "Spain" was incorporated into the Lladró logo as a clear indicator of the company's heritage, history and exporting vocation.

In more recent times, Lladró has continued its expansion into some of the world's most important cities. In 1996, the first Lladró owned store opened in Madrid, located on the exclusive Serrano street, a year later the Lladró Centre in Beverly Hills is opened, a boldly and elegantly designed building at 408 North Rodeo Drive. In 2003 the three founding brothers turned over control to the second Lladró generation, who became part of the new Board of Directors.

Lladró Collectors Society. Lladró’s success is born directly from the passion of its collectors for its products. With this in mind in 1985, the Lladró Collectors Society was created, which for over twenty years has brought together more than one hundred thousand lovers of art in fine porcelain. In 2001, the Lladró Collectors Society gave way to Lladró Privilege, an innovative customer loyalty program which incorporates a new service concept based on a closer and more special treatment toward Lladró porcelain lovers.

Every Lladró piece of work is the result of a laborious artistic process. Sculptors follow their own inspiration but also perform, if the work requires it, a meticulous process of research and documentation. This is often the case with pieces or collections that reflect other cultures. Every Lladró creation begins with an artistic inspiration.

The sculptor then makes the first sketch of the new figure in clay, which is examined and approved by the Creativity Committee, made up by many members, one of whom comes from the Lladró family. The sketch, in clay, is reproduced in plaster to provide the first mould, which will in turn become the definitive mould for the porcelain figurine.

A mid-sized figurine may need between 15 and 20 moulds and up to 300 for complex pieces. The fragments coming from these moulds are joined by liquid porcelain paste to obtain an exact reproduction of the original model.

Once the figurine is reconstructed, the decoration process starts. In compliance with the sculptor’s instructions, and the surface of the piece –so far smooth– it is carved with delicate motifs that will give it its final appearance. It is at this point that the face on the sculpture gets its expression and the tiniest details are delicately crafted. In addition, the figurine is painted and if it requires a glossy finish is later covered with a coat of varnish, which grants it that crystalline look that is so characteristic of Lladró.

Many Lladró sculptures display one of the most valued and differentiating features of the brand: flowers. Each one is fully made, petal by petal, following a very delicate process in order to obtain unique, unrepeatable creations.

Finally, the sculpture is put to the test of fire: it remains for approximately 24 hours in a kiln at over 1300º C. Porcelain vitrifies, varnish crystallises and Lladró’s true colours, so far hidden, come to the surface.

Once the crafting process finishes, the sculpture goes through several quality controls. Most pieces make their way successfully to the end of the process, and those that do not comply with Lladró’s quality standards are destroyed.

A large team of craftsmen contribute to developing Lladró sculptures, making each of them unique: painters, ornamentalists, flower artists… All of them pool their knowledge and expertise to create a piece with the highest artistic and technical quality.