Nadal Holding Basket Girl Figurine

About Nadal

The story of NADAL goes back as far as the last century when Don Jose Asuncion Marques (1890 - 1961), founder of the company was born in Manises.  This small Valencian town was the cradle of the ceramics industry which began at the time of the Arab domination of Spain in the XIV century.  It reached its height in the XV century and grew to play a major role in the history of ceramic production in Europe.

From a young age, Jose Asuncion knew that he did not intend to follow in his father's footsteps working the land.  Influenced by the culture of his hometown with its age old tradition in the ceramics industry, his entrepreneurial flair led him down a different road as he began his career in several ceramics factories in the town.  

It was during these early years that he learned his art, for which he had an overwhelming passion and worked towards his goal which was to one day set up his own factory and become independent.  in the intimacy of his rudimentary laboratory in his home, he worked day and night to achieve his goal, combining his work schedule with studies and research into new raw materials.

It was not until 1915, when Jose Asuncion was 25 years of age and already had considerable experience in the complicated art of ceramic production that, with the money which he and his wife, Dona Margarita NADAL had been able to save, Jose Asuncion set up his own firm.

The birth of NADAL as a brand name came about when Jose Asuncion achieved perfection in the process of manufacturing porcelain figurines.  In honour of his wife and through his affection for her, he decided to use her surname as the name by which his creations would be known.

1922 saw the birth of Don Jose Asuncion Marques' only son and successor, Don Jose Asuncion Nadal.  Together they worked to make the name NADAL as renowned as it is today.  Since the creation of the NADAL brand name, the firm has presented an infinity of new works of art which can be found literally in all four corners of the world.  In 1975, a new member of the Asuncion family, Don Enrique Asuncion Gabriel (Born 1953, grandson of the founder NADAL), who shares the same passion for the intricate but exciting art of ceramics, joined the firm as the third generation in this family saga.

Today, NADAL, a completely modernised company, is still one of the leaders in the production of figurines.  With it's team of technical experts who keep the closely guarded secrets of the techniques which have been learned throughout the years (the head of Research and Development is also a grandson of the founder), it's sculptors and other specialised staff in each and every one of its departments, NADAL is able and willing to give the very best service to its many customers worldwide.

Care Instructions:

Maintenance:
The figures of Nadal area created for enjoyment, to provide joy when looked upon.  As with any piece of art in the home they require a certain level of care:

• Do not place them in locations where they can be knocked to the floor
• Do not expose them to strong sources of heat such as chimneys or direct sunlight for long periods of time
• Never touch them with sharp objects such as knives or metallic brushes

Because of the delicate nature of some of the features, we advise you to follow the above advice in order to stop the figurine from becoming distorted and losing some if its intricate detail.

Cleaning:
With regards to cleaning, keep in mind that the figurine has been decorated in a similar manner to painting.

• Use a smooth watercolour brush or one with long bristles
• Clean with a dampened cloth and dry with smoothness
• Use as hair dryer (cold air) for the dust in the corners
• Use cotton rods for the most difficult areas
• Do not use strong detergents such as ammonias or detergents

Nadal Collections

NADAL always designs their figurines with the idea of complementing your world and life.  These creations have been categorized with the name of the Nadal Studio:
Art with Charm, Real Moments, Miniature Treasures.

Within these collections exist several subsections:
Regional, Traditional and Celebratory themes, International Festivals, Marriages, Communions, Baptisms, Christmas and Religious Themes, Officials of Professionals, Sports, and Animals.

Every line has a different model, with a different palette of colours with distinctive colours without compromising their originality.  They would perfectly complement any house and decor, traditional or modern.

Fantasies come real through the creative and loving hands of the Nadal family, like sensitive people with a burning desire to express parts of their personality, they pour their expression into their art.

Production

The sculpture begins with a long and arduous path towards its completion.  First, a picture is drawn on paper.  This takes many drafts and reworking as the team ascertain and create different versions until they have brought together all of the requirements.

Once a draft has been approved by Nadal's panel of experts, they model it in soft clay which allows the Master Artisans to express complete creative freedom.  The next step is the setting of the sculpture into a material similar to mud which is more durable and allows alteration without losing form.  This creates a mold that adheres to the form created in the original idea.

The durable mud allows the sculptors to engrave tiny details and impart the delicacy and tender touches that characterize the work.  Now the sculpture has set into a rigid material which is analyzed to assure that every detail is correct, remembering that the final mold will be Silicon which replicates every tiny detail and notch.  This gummy material is covered in a fiber body or strong plaster, setting the sculpture into a rigid form.  This stage allows an opportunity to impart Nadal's personal touches and the passion that differentiates their work from different sculptures.

Many years of working as one of the leading companies in the sector of porcelain has allowed Nadal to apply all their experience into everything from the choice of materials and technical specifications right through to the method of working and the constitution of the porcelain and the resin.  This is the reason the skin of the figurines are not factory painted like the majority of the others in the market.  Nadal always use the best materials to guarantee the quality of their brand.  Once produced, they revise every part of the figurine (arms, head, legs, accessories, pedestal) to ensure it matches the original design.  Finally, the figurine is ready to be hand decorated, by specialists who have been working for many years.

This process is similar to that of any artist with a pencil or a brush.  It is very finely done.  After this long process, Nadal hopes that with your choice you will be able to see the love and emotion that they wish to recreate with the figurines in your home.  The company hopes they display happiness, love and smiles to the whole world.  Nadal is proud to have created every single one.