We are proud to offer this exceptional vintage Lladro kittens & flowers basket from the 1980s. All Lladro items are entirely sculpted, painted, glazed and fired by hand. Lladro represents some of the finest and most valuable porcelain of the 20th century. This gorgeous Lladro is a 1983, #1444 Purr-fect basket with beautiful flowers, 3 kittens, a rope twist handle, and a lovely & perfectly tied bow. The Purr-fect was introduced in 1983 and has been retired since 2005, and our example carries the Lladro Daisa stamp #6, used from 1984-1989. Price estimates, dating and special details are taken primarily from the Lladro Authorized Reference Guide, and Collecting Lladro by Peggy Whiteneck. However, current prices for this retired basket range from ~ $325 -$400. Our Lladro treasure weighs 1# 6 oz., measures 5.5 x 5 x 4.5 inches tall, and is in wonderful condition. xxxxxxxxxxxx. The Lladro Company was founded in 1953 by three brothers, Juan, Jose and Vicente Lladro, in the small village of Almacera near Valencia. Beginning with simplistic forms such as vases and jugs, it took three years until 1956 when they started producing the sculptures for which they are now most famous. Worldwide acclaim and enthusiasm for the items produced by the Lladro brothers saw their small workshop expand exponentially until they were eventually forced to move to their present Tavernes Blanques location in 1958. Lladro figurines are made out of an original blend of kaolin rich hard paste porcelain, which gives the figures their unique base porcelain appearance. The glazes which run the gamut of a subtle, almost bisque like mat, to an approximating semi gloss luster, all the way to a high gloss mirror finish, are all proprietary formulas, and along with the porcelain mixture, are carefully guarded secrets. 1970 saw the first production of the Gres line, and the Elite series followed in 1974, with the hugely popular Collectors Society formed in 1985. This lasted 17 years until 2001, when the Lladro Privilege, and subsequent 2004 Lladro Privilege Gold loyalty programs took over for the society.Lladro was born 1951 in Almacera, a tiny farming community near the city of Valencia, on Spain’s eastern Mediterranean coast. Born humble farmers, the Lladro brothers Juan, Jose and Vicente decided to create ceramics as a means of improving their future prospects. They enrolled in the Valencia School of Arts and Crafts, where Juan and Jose studied drawing and painting, while the youngest, Vicente, took up sculpture. The brothers built a Moorish-style kiln in 1951, and subsequent to a successful upgrade in 1952, officially founded the Lladro Co. in 1953. After opening their first retail store in Valencia in 1955, they moved from their small workshop to the town of Tavernes Blanques, and in 1958 the foundations were laid for what was to become known as Porcelain City, the home of Lladro porcelain art today. Becoming fully operational in 1962, the artisan’s workshop was established in 1963, growing to currently house 2000 skilled artisans occupying almost 1,000,000 square feet of design and manufacturing space.

Excellent condition