Lladró Bath Tall Basin Mixer by Paco Jaanson

Porcelain was first discovered by the Chinese in AD 600 and before long it was introduced to Europe. Fast-forward millennia or so to when three Spanish brothers, Juan, José and Vincente made the humble clay-based material famous with its Lladró brand.

It wasnt until 1988 that an Australian distribution began, the same year the Lladró Museum and Gallery in New York opened its doors. By then, any sense that the Chinese had a claim to porcelains fame was truly out the proverbial window.

Confirming Spain is still home to the wonders of porcelain, Lladró and Barcelonas Supergrif have partnered with bathware designers Paco Jaanson to produce Lladró Bath.

Revealed to Australian amigos exclusively at designEX 2008, the range is inspired by the Mediterranean and has two series Nautilus (white, decorated, glossy porcelain) and the contrasting Odyssea, (black, decorated, matte porcelain). Both include fixtures (with thermostatic options available) and accessories.

The Tall Basin Mixer (pictured) is from the Nautilus series and features a handle based on the sea mollusk, a creature from which the word Nautilus is derived.

See the Lladró Bath collection, including the Tall Basin Mixer (RRP AU $1,100)
unveiled at the Paco Jaanson stand (1465) at designEX 2008, Australasia's premier design forum in Sydney April 10 - 12, www.designEX.info