Pair of Eskimo children Polychrome ceramic and luster decoration statue from the second half of the 20th century, depicting a pair of Eskimo children, engaged in a tender embrace. Marked Lladró. Sculptor: Juan Huerta, designed the collection in 1970. This piece is part of the Lladró's historical collection but is no longer in production since 1980, as collections are limited editions. Measurements: cm h 38 x 23 x 18 Lladró is a brand that since the 1950s until today has been defined as an icon of quality ceramics, and its productions are in high demand by international collectors. Its history: Lladró is the story of the passion for porcelain of three brothers: Juan, José, and Vicente Lladró. Artists who have made porcelain a way of life and have managed to build a commercial empire with their own hands. In 1953, at their home in the village of Almàssera, they began to create the first ceramic plates, vases and figurines inspired by the works of the great European manufacturers of Meissen, Sèvres, and Capodimonte. It was during this period that the modeling of flowers or the complex treatment of tulle appeared for the first time: examples of virtuoso techniques that we still find today in numerous creations of the House. At the end of this decade, Lladró opened its first store in Valencia. In the 1960s: The result of constant artistic restlessness, at this time a unique and distinctive style was forged, with elongated lines, which made Lladró famous throughout the world. In a demonstration of skill and mastery in the handling of the material, the pieces became increasingly complex and dynamic, defying the laws of gravity. Lladró introduced the revolutionary single-firing method, which soon replaced the traditional triple-firing. This pioneering method also helped to define another distinctive feature of the brand: the pastel tones characteristic of most of its works. In this decade, the professional school was also established at the Lladró headquarters, intended to provide the House with qualified artists and technicians. In 1965, with just over a decade under its belt, Lladró entered the American market. In 1969, the current headquarters in Tavernes Blanques (Valencia) opened. The 1970s were years of feverish activity and creative maturity. The quality achieved led Lladró to undertake more ambitious works; the first limited series were born, and the definitive international recognition arrived. After intense research activity, the House began working with stoneware, a new material capable of opening up a whole world of expressive possibilities. The particular resistance of this material and its peculiar earthy tones expanded the creative resources of the Lladró artists. In the 1980s, the constant search for new expressive modalities proceeded at a sustained pace. The greater control over porcelain made it possible to create works that show an extraordinary mastery of modeling. In unique collections such as Sculptures, Caprices, or Goyescas, the imagination of the artists allows itself to be carried away by fantasy and the pleasure of creating. 1985 saw the foundation of the Lladró Collectors' Society. During its 15 years of life, the association boasted more than 100,000 collectors of the brand's porcelains. In this decade, Lladró reached two important milestones in its international expansion. In 1986, it landed in Asia, with branches in Japan and China. In 1988, it opened its first museum and gallery in New York, on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. The process of internationalization continued steadily in emerging markets such as Russia, Eastern Europe, and India. In the 1990s, Lladró produced many period scenes of great complexity, many of which include vibrant floral compositions that represent the ultimate expression of the meticulous attention to detail and the know-how of the House's artists. In 1991, the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg hosted an exhibition of Lladró sculptures, of which the 18th-century Carriage and Don Quixote became part of its permanent collection. In 1995, the first Lladró boutique was opened in Tokyo, in the fashion district of Ginza; in 1996, the store on Calle Serrano, the exclusive street of Madrid, was opened, and in 1997 the boutique in Beverly Hills opened its doors on Rodeo Drive. The 2000s: Lladró takes its expressive potential to new heights in High Porcelain, a collection of models of extraordinary artistic and technical quality, intended to form a selected group of masterpieces within the brand's production. At the same time, it reinvents itself with sculptural pieces in opaque white porcelain or dynamic and expressive pieces decorated in vibrant colors. Works dedicated to traditions and religious devotions begin to play a prominent role. One of the brand's values ??since its origins is its know-how in interpreting the spirituality of the most diverse cultures with sensitivity and admiration, making each model a challenge and a source of enrichment for its artists. This variety of product is intensified thanks to the collaboration of exceptional external designers such as Jaime Hayon, Bodo Sperlein and Culdesac, who add their personal and artistic universe to Lladró's work in a fruitful creative exchange. In 2006 and 2009, Lladró opened two boutiques in Moscow, respectively at the prestigious Petrovskij Passaž and GUM shopping centers. Since 2010, Lladró has intensified its creativity in functional lines of products dedicated to lighting, home accessories, and jewelry, strengthening its position as a manufacturing house of porcelain icons of a contemporary, elegant, and exclusive lifestyle. Collaborations are also intensified in a fruitful creative exchange with well-known external designers such as Paul Smith, Rolito, or Gary Baseman. In 2012, the Lladró Boutique in New York opens its doors at 500 Madison Avenue. In 2017, the company was acquired by PHI Industrial Group, a Spanish investment fund specializing in the active management of companies.