Friday, July 13, 2012

Lladró

I did buy myself a Lladró figurine when I went to visit the factory. She doesn't have a name, yet, but she is very slender and tiny. Fine-boned, one might say.


















She makes my other figurine look a bit statuesque!

but, I did buy her specifically because she was the closest one I found that matched up with the one I already had.

and she was within the right price range.

and she has that lovely string of pearls.

I think she is the slightly wilder younger sister, although she is apparently Ingenue, according to the catalogue.





The tour is a fascinating experience. Lladró is made nowhere else in the world except at this one location just outside Valencia. You get to go behind the scenes and see the women (they are all women, who probably have smaller hands and fingers and possibly more patience than men) at their tables forming and attaching and painting...

The artistic team creates pieces in clay following traditional sculpting techniques. The original mould is then fragmented and each piece is reproduced exactly using porcelain moulds.  Even the hands are of several moulds with the fingers and wrists and forearm and upper arm later attached using the same porcelain to create the right sense of flow and movement. When you see the painstakingly elaborate process that is involved, you can appreciate why they are so expensive.

I went early so I could wander around the showroom beforehand. I was slightly disappointed that there were not more pieces I wished to buy, but then this is not really something I want to collect as much as I enjoy looking at them and admiring the delicacy of the features. I have the one lady and love her and am pleased to have found another to make a pair.

10 comments:

  1. Well, it was a good thing that you got her home in one piece after all of that trouble. Where did you buy the first piece?

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    1. she was carefully packed in my carry on bag. (another reason to have a small box - it just fit. otherwise I'd have to have it shipped.)

      the first one I bought when I was in Spain in 1976 on a school trip. It has taken me 36 years to go back!

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  2. I love seeing any sort of factory. It's always amazing to me to watch something being produced. I'm glad you were able to find the younger, wilder sister of your original.

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    1. I was glad I saw the finished products first before I took the tour- it was neat to see the reverse process!

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  3. It sounds like a very satisfying experience, and both pieces have great delicacy and grace. I used to buy soapstone sculptures, but they are not readily available here - used to have to get them bought by proxy by visitors to Canada. Now I also have wooden carved animals and birds, and silver and enamelled ones from Italy. My grandchildren would like to make off with all of them!

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    1. Lucky you - there are some pretty cool soapstone carvings out there.
      and that your grandchildren like them. I am not sure what will happen to my collectibles after I am gone as I don't think anyone else wants them.

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  4. I too have always loved Lladro'!! Fabulous piece you have purchased. She is delicate!!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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    1. They had some amazingly intricate pieces in their showroom. One couple I ran into (from Texas, it sounded like) immediately spent several thousand dollars while I was still adding up my euros to see how much I had left!

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  5. She looks very wistful, but maybe she is making plans behind that beautiful little face!

    Both pieces are exquisite.

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