Lladró unveils “Carnival in Venice”, at Maison Objet

Leading Spanish porcelain brand Lladró unveiled its latest porcelain creation to the world at the January edition of design fair Maison Objet. “Carnival in Venice” is a work of great technical complexity and, as the largest piece ever created, a milestone in porcelain art.

The creative process behind this monumental work took five years of intensive research and testing. A total of more than 22,000 hours of work, 35 artists and around 450 fragments went into breathing life in this latest creation, which features 14 different characters linked to the famous Venetian carnival. The most complex piece in its “High Porcelain” collection – Lladró’s supreme artistic category – is issued as a limited edition and only a hundred will be available worldwide.

Lladró also presented its latest decorative pieces, lighting and fashion accessories at Maison Objet. New lighting products include a spectacular 56-light version of its “Belle de Nuit” chandelier, the largest in the series, and “Firefly”, its first collection of cordless lamps in porcelain. With independent LEDs and rechargeable batteries, these table lamps are inspired by the magical light of the glow-worm.

The quirkier side of Lladró comes courtesy of brand think-tank Lladró Atelier, which issues projects handled by in-house designers or by teaming up with cutting-edge artists from around the world. This experimental engagement has now produced “Origami”, a new collection that turns to geometry to reinterpret the animal kingdom, swapping realism for a polyhedral look. Other fair debuts included the pendant collection of miniature handmade porcelain treasures “Little Jewels”, and Lladró´s latest series “Animal Heroes” and “Crosses”, both spawned by Lladró Atelier.

Like all the brand’s creations, every piece unveiled in Paris was handcrafted in Lladró’s own workshop in Valencia. The dream factory boasts a big team of expert artists, and technicians, and has been using a totally artisan process to produce its exquisite porcelain gems since 1953. They are now exported to more than 120 countries around the globe.