Sargadelos says Nvidia's logo copies its P-shaped tableware design

Who is Sargadelos?

The name goes back to 1791, when Antonio Raimundo Ibáñez built an ironworks in Galicia. In 1806 he opened the region's first earthenware factory, using local kaolin clay. He was murdered in 1809, and the factory finally closed in 1875.

It came back thanks to the painter and ceramicist Isaac Díaz Pardo, who opened a workshop in Sada in 1949 and, in 1963, helped set up the Laboratorio de Formas, a non-profit design project. A new circular factory opened in Cervo in 1970. The look is white and cobalt blue, with medieval motifs, mythological figures and portraits from Rosalía de Castro to Picasso. Today the company also makes jewellery, perfume and toys, has appeared in Almodóvar films and, this summer, inspired a Marc Márquez helmet for Estrella Galicia.

A company that keeps nearly dying

The stunt comes in a rough week. In 2013 Sargadelos sought creditor protection and laid off 70 people, and in 2014 it was insolvent with about 5 million euros of debt. By 2016 it reported profits again.

In April 2025, labour inspectors found 36 safety failings at the Cervo plant, including silica dust exposure that had caused silicosis in at least two employees. After a 5,000 euro fine, boss Segismundo García announced the factory would close immediately. The regional government, the Xunta, stepped in and production resumed. This November came a temporary layoff scheme (an ERTE) for 86 workers, and García resigned as CEO. He remains sole administrator, but an advisory board now makes the decisions. About 245 people still work across the Cervo and Sada factories.

There is some irony in the copying claim. Ibáñez built his own factory by imitating English earthenware, with techniques from Bristol and vases inspired by Wedgwood. Whether Nvidia answers hardly matters: a Galician dinner service is getting talked about.