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LLADRÓ
   Regular Collection
   NAO
      (NAO Catalog)
          (Retired 2004)
          (Retired 2005)
          (Retired 2006)
          (Retired 2007)
          (Retired 2008)
          (Retired 2009-10)
          (Retired 2011-12)
   Rosal
     (Rosal Begets NAO?)
     (More Curious Yet!)
   Tang
   Zaphir
     (Zaphir Catalog)
   Golden Memories
      (GM Catalog)
   Hispania
     (Hispania Catalog)

Made in Spain
(No Brand Name)

Nadal

Other Companies
   Nalda

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For those interested in glass figurines, Fenton Art Glass Beasts, Birds & Butterflies is another of Peggy's books!

Also for those interested in glass, Fenton Art Glass Fairy Lamps & Lights is Peggy's latest book! It focuses on small, candle-lit "lamps" that were first used in the Victorian era to light dark hallways before the invention of gaslight or electricity.

Curiouser and Curiouser!
Oldest Lladró Found with Rosal Marks

by Peggy Whiteneck

Much of the model evidence I have for Rosal comes to me from collector Robert E. (Gene) Woods. Recently, he sent me a fascinating photo of what certainly looks to me to be the rare core collection "Pheasant" model #331.13, which - in the core collection - dates to 1973. There are some minor differences in coloration, but there is no apparent difference in the modeling itself. Gene's pheasant, however, bears an impressed Rosal mark (pictured on page 1 of the Rosal section of this web site).

If we could run a DNA test on porcelain, I'd wager this Rosal-marked pheasant would turn out to be an identical twin to that rare and highly sought-after early core collection Lladró #331.13. It has an impressed mark that just says Rosal. Recall that this brand was not made for export, so there was no reason to add so much as a "Made in Spain" to the simple mark. [Photo courtesy of Gene Woods]

More recently, collector Raffi Souvalian sent me pictures of his magnificent polar bear, marked with an impressed Rosal mark. This model turns out to be an identical clone of the very early core collection rarity, model #328.13.

It isn't possible, given the current state of knowledge, to definitively account for NAO and/or Rosal clones of the earliest, decimal-point-numbered models from the core collection - those Lladró models considered most rare and, consequently, most keenly sought after by collectors. It does, however, become increasingly probable that at least some of the models, among those made in the early to mid 60s, that have been traditionally listed as "decimal-point" models in the regular collection are actually early Rosal or NAO. Lladró freely admits it did not keep accurate early production records (for, as to the company's eventual fame, who knew then what we know now?). Given that reality, it would be pretty difficult to distinguish between an unmarked core collection museum piece from Lladró's earliest years and an unmarked Rosal from the same era and from which the sticker had become detached.

So what does all this mean? For my "take" on the collecting implications of these new discoveries, see this page of the web site.

So What's It All Mean?

At Last - A New Lladró Book! The Lladró Guide; A Collector's Reference to Retired Porcelain Figurines in Lladró Brands My most recent Lladró book has revised and expanded content and remains the only book in print on this topic that isn't just a catalog. Covers all Lladró and Lladró-affiliated brands (regular collection, NAO, Zaphir, Golden Memories, Hispania, Rosal, and Tang) and tells how to distinguish them from imitations and counterfeits. Revised and expanded content includes many new photos and a new chapter on future directions for collectors and the company now that it has passed from family hands. The book is in hard cover, which eliminates that annoying curl-up that happens with paperback books. You can order the book directly from the publisher, Schiffer Books, on Amazon, or from your favorite bookstore using the ISBN 13 number 978-0764358395. Warning: If you're looking for a catalog of every retired figurine Lladró ever made, this is not the book for you. If you're looking for beautiful, full-color photos of representative models and more in-depth and well-researched information about Lladró and its history and production than you can get in thumbnail photos with captions, this book is what you're looking for. Retail Price in Hardcover: $45