Flamenco with flowers

Country: Spain

Manufactory: Lladro

Date of establishment: 1988

Sculptor: Juan Huerta

Size (cm): 25*14

Porcelain Story

This wonderful figurine of a Spanish girl was one of the first in our collection. Many years ago I found it in a souvenir shop on the island of Mallorca and, unable to resist, hurried to buy it. By the way, even then I noticed that the porcelain products of the famous Valencian manufactory Lladro are almost always sold next to the jewelry of the no less famous Swarovski company. At first, this seemed like a coincidence to me. But later I noticed that in the gift shops of London and Madrid, New York and Paris, Vienna and Stockholm, they constantly coexist.

No, of course, I didn’t specifically find out why this happens. Probably, it was such a marketing ploy, pre-planned by the management of two large companies. But the fact remains - they have always coexisted before the eyes of potential buyers, fascinated by the beauty of Spanish porcelain and the refined grace of Bohemian crystal.

Much later, having learned the full depth of the specifics of creating porcelain masterpieces, I did not miss the opportunity to inquire about the origins of the appearance of Swarovski products, which make millions of women around the world admire their unique cut and beauty.

I don’t think that many of those who saw real works of Bohemian crystal would have thought that such a symphony of color, refinement and even a seemingly tangible presence of solemn sounds was actually invented by the musician. Yes, it was violinist Daniel Swarovski, who was born in a mountain village in northern Bohemia, who decided to design unique equipment for the production of Bohemian crystal products. And it happened exactly 130 years ago. A little later, he moved from Bohemia to Tyrol, where he founded a factory for the production of crystal products in the village of Wattens. Swarovski was personally engaged in improving the technology of cutting and polishing crystals, eventually bringing it to perfection. And soon, Daniel with his sons Wilhelm, Friedrich and Alfred, who, following their father, became interested in creating crystal beauty, managed to find the composition of initial mixtures unsurpassed by anyone to make high-quality crystal with rare transparency and brilliance. This composition is still a company secret and is kept in the strictest confidence.

Daniel Swarovski used to be often compared to the no less mysterious figure of the famous imitator Georges Frederic Strass, who became famous in the 18th century for making high-quality fake diamond products. It was in his honor that fake diamonds began to be called "rhinestones". However, the absurdity of such comparisons soon became obvious to everyone. Since Swarovski proved to the whole world that a talented person is capable of being talented in everything - in music, in invention, and in commerce. The Swarovski factory was inundated with orders coming from many countries, because the products of the violinist-turned-businessman attracted beauties not only with the brilliance of unique jewelry, but also with the affordability of prices for them. The family business began to flourish, bringing huge profits. It flourishes to our time, delighting at the same time both manufacturers of products from Bohemian crystal and their devoted fans ...