About once every 5 years I chance upon Lladro porcelain figurines, most usually in a sojourn in a mall where they materialise on the hard-to-reach shelves of trendy gift stores. My first encounter would have been in my teens when I distinctly remember thinking these overpriced little ornaments from Valencia were not only kitsch but were only loved by grandmothers, certainly over 60, who had mildly lost their reason as to what is appealing. Not only that but I divined that if I ever felt any warmth for the little pieces I could duly assume I had suffered some excessive ravages of time and my claim to reason might be somewhat faltering.
Bottom line, appeal of Lladro I believe to be a test of time.
So with some surprise today I spotted an assortment of pieces that actually brought me some joy, Madonna with child, and a country girl inspired figure. For the first time I saw the tradition and romanticism behind the figures and took time to consider the shades of colour and dedication to detail to produce a work which
exudes a cultivated classic charm. Certainly more charm than I now hold for a Che Guevara t-shirt and mordant attitude to anything bearing authority. In 5 years time, who knows, I could be an ardent collector, at each sunrise and sunset the small silent drift to Lladro seems irrepressible :)