Porcelain craft gets a helping hand in India

In the world of art, there are creative wonders galore. One such jewel in the crown is porcelain craft. Till date, the only family that has been still religiously and sincerely preserving the art of porcelain since the mid-20th century as a painstaking symbol of aesthetics is none other than the world-famous Lladró household. The good news is that the legacy has continued over the years and graduated into a renowned Spanish luxury brand. The three brothers, namely Juan, José and Vicente, later founded the prestigious stable of Lladró in 1953.

On its own merit, the handmade porcelain trade has spread its wings to different corners of the earth. Hitherto, a bulk of 133 countries form the brand’s catalogue to retail its exclusive merchandise in the market at 2,000 points, be it through departmental stores, boutiques, shops or outlets. The company had forayed in the India region way back in 2000 to find a toehold in the domestic market. Sixteen years down the line, it is a strong establishment now. Precisely a decade ago, in 2006, it also forged a joint venture with SPA agencies to float Spa Lifestyle Pvt Ltd. “We have a strong base in this country, with the highest number of company-owned boutiques compared to other markets in the world,” shares Nikhil Lamba, COO, Lladró India. Currently the brand boasts of eight premium boutiques in India and all important metro cities such as Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai and Bengaluru sells out the collection of porcelain magic. Home delivery is also available.

Specially designed boxes or crates are used to preserve and cart the fragile porcelain figurines from one place to another. Protective foam and cardboard packs take the shape of the objects inside and are thrice the size of the items to be ferried across safely to reach their destination venues and thus avoid the anticipated damage.

Exploring the multifaceted potential of the porcelain medium, the supply stuff is replete with offers varying from classic to the most cutting-edge designs and functional objects for home decor.

“Every nation nurtures its own society and home-grown culture. So we always do an in-depth study and research work to follow those trends and cater to our customers accordingly. We try to rise to the challenges thrown at us and deliver optimum goods to live up to their expectation levels,” shares Lamba. Incidentally, to commemorate the sainthood of Mother Teresa, the brand recently flooded the Kolkata market with its new launch of ‘Mother Teresa of Calcutta’ statuette as a mark of reverence and dedication to the City of Joy on the occasion of the beloved, benign Mother’s canonisation. Even to mark Gandhi Jayanti earlier this October, a Mahatma Gandhi figurine was unveiled. “We are majorly influenced by real-life moments and every market plays an instrumental role in infusing a fresh lease of life into these memorable moments,” he infers.

This apart, fascinating home furnishings, lighting solutions, gifting options, eclectic choices of sculpted angels, frozen happy moments, couples in warm embrace, musicians, the bonding of a mother and child, love symbols, festivals et al highlight the attractive artefacts and showpieces of porcelain splendour.

Incidentally, every Lladró masterpiece is made in the brand’s factory, located in Valencia, Spain. Recently, the Lladró Museum has been recognised as a cultural benchmark by the Generalitat Valenciana’s Cultural Heritage Department for preserving, popularising and exhibiting its precious oeuvre of paintings and porcelain creations.

Besides being meant for decoration, Lladró’s line of products offers utility factors. “We specialise in creating moments through sculptures which represent our core art. Our new segment on lighting is a unique blend of art and utility. Lladró lighting is an exclusive and one-of-its-kind range of handmade porcelain and can be customised according to consumers’ requirements,” informs Lamba. “We keep receiving a lot of feedback from our customers at our significant signing events, wherein Ms Lladró herself takes a keen interest in interacting with the customers and noting down their personal responses, ideas and suggestions for opening up new chapters of inspiration,” he further reveals.

The process of creation involves patience, skill, labour, focus and a high level of impeccable craftsmanship. “All our pieces are completely handmade and meticulously created. The flowers and tulles need a special mention on this front. They are crafted with intensive care and hand-painted without any moulds. A coat of gold/silver lustre paint is also used for an eye-catching redecoration array,” pat comes Lamba’s parting shot.