Merchant
Of Prato About Us
Merchant Of
Prato, Inc.
PO Box 463, Buckeystown, Maryland 21717
Phone: 866-813-1879
info@merchantofpratoimports.com
Indulge your
passion for the finer things in life. Merchant of Prato
presents imports from Italy, France and beyond. Exquisite
handpainted Quimper Faience china and pottery from Brittany,
France. Beautiful handmade Italian majolica ceramics and
pottery from Deruta, Umbria and Sicily, Italy. Hand carved
alabaster stone fruit and alabaster stone eggs from Volterra
in the hills of Tuscany in Italy. And, fine, elegant Limoges
China by J. Seignolles Porcelain de Limoges.
Our Italian ceramics and pottery collection is imported from
Deruta, Umbria and Sicily, Italy. The Italian ceramics we
import are Majolica. Many of the designs we feature date
back hundreds of years and many patterns are derived from
Renaissance art. Each piece of Italian pottery is handmade
and painstakingly hand-painted, thus each piece of our
Italian pottery is unique.
We have direct connections with artists in Volterra, Italy
who create amazing, realistic alabaster stone fruit and
alabaster eggs. Each piece of fruit is hand decorated making
each piece a unique work of art.
Our Quimper Faience collection is imported directly from the
HB Henriot Factory in Quimper, France. Each piece of Quimper
China is handmade and painstakingly hand-painted. Each piece
of Quimper china is unique. One artist handpaints each piece
from start to finish. Each piece of Quimper is then
initialed by the artist and marked HB-Henriot to ensure its
authenticity.
And for the finest Limoges china, our J. Seignolles
Porcelaine from Limoges, will not disappoint. French Jammet-Seignolles
is one of the oldest established porcelain manufacturers in
Limoges. J. Seignolles was established in 1825 and still
uses the traditional skills to produce both the classic
designs of yesterday and the modern and vibrant designs of
today.
All items are new, first quality products.
ITALIAN CERAMICS ORDERS
Payments:
We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover and
PayPal.
Shipping:
For IN STOCK items, Merchant of Prato, Inc. will ship your
order within 5 business days of your order. We use UPS and
the US Postal Service depending from which warehouse our
items originate from.
We strongly suggest that you ship to your place of business,
since normally no one will be home at your home address
during the day to sign for your package.
**On International Orders, our shipping fees do not include
any customs or duty that your country may impose. Please
contact us for International Shipping costs.
Preorders
From Factory:
We do keep some inventory in stock. You will note the IN
STOCK markings throughout our site. If an item says Preorder
from Factory, we will order that item for you and you will
receive your items in approximately 8-10 weeks. Sorry for the
delay but it does take time to have the factory make your
order and have the item shipped here to the states. Once we
receive your item from the factory we will notify you by
email that we are now shipping your item out. For Christmas
items, we recommend preordering items by the end of
September.
Return
Policy:
Merchant of Prato, Inc. offers a 30 day satisfaction
guarantee. You may return, within 30 days of delivery, any
item that you purchased. A full refund of the purchase price
(minus shipping and handling charges, unless the return is a
result of our error) will be issued upon our receipt of your
returned merchandise.
The customer will incur all shipping and insurance costs to
and from Merchant of Prato, Inc, so be sure that you are
confident about your purchase. These costs are
non-recoverable.
If you need to return an item after your receive it, you may
return it for a full refund. We encourage you not to use or
alter the merchandise until you are 100% satisfied. Refunds
not be issues for used or altered merchandise. To return
your item:
1. Mail the item back to us.
2. The merchandise must be insured for the purchase price.
3. The returned merchandise must be in its original
condition.
Your credit card will be credited upon us receiving the
returned merchandise.
Handcrafted
Works of Art
Because each item is individually handcrafted, the sizes,
shapes and colors may vary slightly. With repeated use,
Majolica (Italian ceramics) have a tendency to “craze”
or form miniscule lines within the glazing. This has no
effect on the durability of the item.
Errors and
Omissions Policy
Merchant of Prato, Inc. reserves the right to change prices,
terms, specifications and warranties without notice. We
endeavor to accurately describe every product offered for
sale; however, mistakes can sometimes be made. Any
typographical, photographic, or specification error in
product description, pricing or offers is subject to
correction and verification.
Use and Care of Products
All Dinnerware, Serving ware, and Kitchenware are 100% food safe in compliance with FDA standards and U.S.A. import regulations for lead and
cadium.
Large decorative pieces and not meant to have contact with food unless otherwise specified.
We do not recommend washing your Majolica pottery in the dishwasher, but we recommend hand washing.
Majolica should not be used in the microwave or conventional oven, unless otherwise specified. Putting them in the oven/microwave will heat up the ceramic and heighten the possibility of cracking or chipping.
With repeated use, majolica has a tendency to “craze” (form tiny lines in the glaze). This has no effect on the durability of the item. However, there are ways to minimize crazing and to help keep your ceramics looking beautiful. Here are some tips:
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Avoid sudden temperature changes. You can run dishes under warm tap water before serving very hot foods or liquids. You can also place a metal spoon in your ceramic mug or teapot when pouring in hot liquid. The metal will absorb the heat and thus protect against crazing or cracking.
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Avoid using scouring powders or harsh scourers as they can damage the glaze. For east clean up, let item soak with warm soapy water for a few minutes then wash with cloth, sponge, or plastic scrubber.
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Remove tea or coffee stains in cups with a solution of 2 tablespoons chlorine bleach per quart of water. Soak for 1-2 minutes and rinse promptly.
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Black marks left by tarnished cutlery can be removed from pottery with a good quality, non abrasive metal cleaner.
With a little extra care, your majolica will remain strong and beautiful for a very long time.
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