Ceramic product made from kaolin, quartz and feldspar.

Porcelain is formed by turning or pressing. Figural representations are cast. Complex molds have to be cast in sections and then "applied". After molding, the pieces are dried and "burnt" at about 900 °C. After that, the glaze is applied and fired at temperatures between 1,240 °C and 1,445 °C. In major manufactures, the porcelain is painted by hand with each color separately and has to be burned in compliance with narrow temperature tolerances.

The porcelain was invented in China and became widespread in Europe in the 16th century. The first European porcelain factory was founded in Meissen in 1710.

Other famous European porcelain factories are Fürstenberg, Höchst, Schwarzburger Werkstätten, Lladró, Nymphenburg, KPM, Augarten, Sèvres, Limoges, Royal Copenhagen, Worcester. Individual factories label their products with the porcelain brands that serve to identify their origin.

Related links:
Schwarzburg Workshops of the Porcelain Art
Lladró

A plastic work of sculptural art made of wood, stone, ivory, bronze or other metals.

While sculptures from wood, ivory or stone are made directly from the block of material, for bronze casting a working model is prepared at first. Usually it is made of clay or other easily shaped materials.

The prime time of sculpture after the Roman antiquity was the Renaissance. Impressionism gave a new impulse to the sculptural arts. Also the contemporary artists, such as Jorg Immendorf, Andora, and Markus Lupertz enriched the sculpture with outstanding works.

The porcelain factory Lladró was founded by three brothers, Juan, José and Vicente Lladró at the end of the 1950s. Even today it is a family-owned company.

The production facilities that are located in the "Porcelain City" in the town of Tavernes Blanques near Valencia in Spain enjoy a world-wide reputation. On the one hand this is owing to the selection of sculptors and modellers, who impress the expert audience with their artistic originality year after year, on the other hand to exquisite, high-precision implementation of their designs that are second to none. A closely guarded secret of the company is a specially developed porcelain paste, which gives the figures their unique character. The composition of the gloss coat is also secret.

Lladrós sculptures have long been internationally wanted collectibles; the limited, piece by piece numbered copies of each edition can quickly find their way around the world.