Handcrafted, oversized fruit sculptures in porcelain, ceramic, glass, bronze and fibre-resin for art, design and architecture.
BULL & STEIN by FFCR – Fábrica de Faianças das Caldas da Rainha, Lda.
Porto (office/administration) · Alfena (warehouse)New on Amplifa
About BULL & STEIN
BULL & STEIN produces and distributes oversized fruit sculptures and design objects, handcrafted using centuries-old techniques. The range includes ceramic and porcelain apple sculptures, hand-blown coloured glass (craquelé technique), bronzes cast using the lost-wax process and polished and patinated by hand, as well as objects made of fibre-resin (mineral/fibre composite, marfinite) for sizes over 75 cm and permanent outdoor use. Production takes place in cooperation with specialised manufacturers and workshops in Portugal, Spain, Brazil and India; the company describes itself as an atelier and workshop with its own design and development capability. Since 2021, the company BULL & STEIN by FFCR – Fábrica de Faianças das Caldas da Rainha, Lda. in Porto has combined design, manufacturing, administration and distribution. The objects come in nine sizes up to 120 cm in diameter and approx. 200 cm in height and are aimed at the art and design trade, architecture and interior design; the company operates on five continents.
- Site
- -453 Porto
- Processes
- Bronze casting using the lost-wax process (Lost Wax Casting), Polishing and patinating of bronze sculptures (by hand), Hand-blown glass (hand-blown glass, craquelé technique), Ceramic casting and firing (960–1,080 °C) with glaze, Porcelain production with firing at 1,300 °C, glazing, Faience production (Faianças, double firing, glazes and engobes), Fibre-resin casting (fibre-resin composite, foundry: Spain), Painting and clear-coating (high-quality automotive paints) for fibre-resin objects
- Materials
- Bronze, Copper, Tin, Glass (hand-blown, coloured), Ceramic, Porcelain (kaolin), Faience, Fibre-resin (fibre-resin composite / marfinite, mineral composite)
- Certificates
- Brand authenticity seal
- Founded
- 2002
- Industries
- Art & Design, Decoration/Object design, Architecture & Interior design
- 01
Design & development (atelier)
- 02
Awarding to specialised manufacturers (casting/firing/blowing)
- 03
Hand finishing: polishing, patinating, painting, electroplating
- 04
Quality control & authenticity seal
- 05
Warehouse & distribution (Alfena)
- 06
International shipping
Materials & Processes
Bronze casting (lost-wax process)
Approx. 96% copper, 4% tin; polished and patinated by hand, foundry in Portugal.
Ceramic casting with glaze
Fired at 960–1,080 °C with a very wide variety of colours; production in Spain.
Porcelain (kaolin)
Fired at 1,300 °C, dense and suitable for outdoor use; four glaze colours.
Faience (Faianças)
White ceramic with double firing, rich glazes and engobes, traditionally Portuguese.
Hand-blown coloured glass
Hand-blown in craquelé technique, each object is unique.
Fibre-resin (mineral/fibre composite, marfinite)
For pieces over 75 cm and permanent outdoor use; foundry in Spain.
Gilding / silver plating
Gold or silver finish on object surfaces.
Painting & clear-coating
High-quality automotive paints for fibre-resin objects.
Graffiti artist edition
Each object individually finished by airbrush/sprayer, one-of-a-kind pieces with custom tags.
Clay & organic pigments
Raw materials for Lisa Pappon's large-format ceramic sculptures.
Locations
Porto
PTOffice, administration, design
Alfena
PTWarehouse & logistics (CKS Logística)
Objects & Collections
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze casting using the lost-wax process (Lost Wax Casting)Casting | – | – | – | – | Bronze (approx. 96% copper, 4% tin) |
| Polishing and patinating of bronze sculptures (by hand)Surface | – | – | – | – | Bronze |
| Hand-blown glass (hand-blown glass, craquelé technique)Casting | – | – | – | – | Coloured glass |
| Ceramic casting and firing (960–1,080 °C) with glazeCasting | – | – | – | – | Ceramic/clay, organic pigments, glazes |
| Porcelain production with firing at 1,300 °C, glazingCasting | – | – | – | – | Porcelain (kaolin) |
| Faience production (Faianças, double firing, glazes and engobes)Casting | – | – | – | – | Faience (white ceramic, kaolin, plastic clays) |
| Fibre-resin casting (fibre-resin composite, foundry: Spain)Plastics | – | 75 cm (sizes over 75 cm only in | – | – | Fibre-resin (mineral/fibre composite, marfinite) |
| Painting and clear-coating (high-quality automotive paints) for fibre-resin objectsSurface | – | – | – | – | Fibre-resin |
| Graffiti art finishing (airbrush/sprayer, artist edition)Surface | – | – | – | – | Ceramic, porcelain, fibre-resin, bronze |
| Electroplating: gilding / silver plating (gold or silver plated)Surface | – | – | – | – | Gold, silver |
| Glazing/ceramic glazes (ceramic glazed, monochrome shaded)Surface | – | – | – | – | Ceramic, porcelain |
| Chrome and metallic effect finishes (chrome & metallic)Surface | – | – | – | – | Ceramic, porcelain, fibre-resin |
| Design and development of sculptures/design furniture (design, atelier & workshop)Engineering | – | approx. 200 cm (sculptures up to 2 m in | – | – | Porcelain, ceramic, glass, bronze, fibre-resin |
Additional services
Quality & Authenticity
Every original sculpture bears the exclusive authenticity seal of the BULL & STEIN brand, which proves provenance and originality.
| Evidence | Porto |
|---|---|
| Brand authenticity seal |
History
- 2002
BULL & STEIN founded in São Paulo by Cynthia Stein and Marcus Bull; shortly afterwards the artist Lisa Pappon joins.
- 2021
After consolidating production in Portugal, the company BULL & STEIN by FFCR – Fábrica de Faianças das Caldas da Rainha, Lda. is founded in Porto and takes over the brand; offices relocated to Porto.