Lladro figurines have become very popular around the world yet; Lladro’s background was never quite as regal. Juan, Jose, and Vicente Lladro grew up in a very poor environment but the three brothers went on to create some of the best porcelain figurines Europe had even seen. The three grew up in a small contained town and the boys discovered the arts through their mother. The brothers soon realized their love for pottery crafting. It was this love for pottery paired with determination to shape a more prosperous future for both themselves and their family which was the sole reason for the creation of the material porcelain. The Chinese then discovered that by mixing in a special ingredient with the clay, they created a new material all together; one that was both functional, fashionable, and was in demand by the European nobility.

Perceiving what could be achieved with the wonder material porcelain, the brothers were determined to create some of the finest art that the world had ever imagined. They began to mix and experiment with different recipes for the wonder material and color, shapes, coatings, and blasting lengths. After quite some time experimenting, the brothers were finally satisfied with the mixture and texture of porcelain that they had produced. The recipe has not changed at all and still used up to today.

To finally get their ideas into reality and into designs, the brothers borrowed nearly 2,000 pesetas from a close friend of theirs in 1958. This then allowed Lladro to expand and grow. Soon, the brother’s art became very popular in the local community. They brought them down to stalls and sold them with great success. And at this time, they also started to create the legendary Lladro figurines.

In the 19601’s, a lot of famous clients began to purchase and gather the beautiful figurines. Because of this, the company found out that is popularity had increased tenfold. With this huge increase in demand, the plant had to be extended to nearly seven times and each one a new page in the Lladro history.

The company and what is known today as the fabulous “Porcelain City” was designed. “Porcelain City” is made up of mills, kilns, room, and display rooms that in total cover an area of 100,000 square feet and employs a total of over 2,000 people.

Every Lladro figurine is still to date handcrafted and also painted by hand. Every detail imaginable is thought about and given special attention and that is one of the reasons why Lladro is as special as it is.