The Merchant of Prato, Importer of Handcrafted Italian Ceramics
The Merchant of Prato has been importing fine, handcrafted Italian ceramics from Italy since 2007. The business was started by Pam Mooney, who developed a love of Italian ceramics on her many trips to Italy. After a successful Internet career, she decided to share her passion of Italian ceramics and started The Merchant of Prato.
People often ask why the business is named “The Merchant of Prato”. Once in the Tuscan town of Prato, located about 8 miles northeast of Florence, lived an influential businessman named Francesco di Marco Datini. He was an important merchant who is created by implementing the first partnership system in business in the year 1383. History has coined him “The Merchant of Prato”.
Datini left behind a notebook entitled “For God and Profit” upon which he recorded thirty-five years of his business dealings. In his lifetime, Datini made a fortune trading in arms, armor, art, silk, leather, wool, spices and more and by the end of his life had set up offices across the Mediterranean. This notebook is one of the greatest historical records of Medieval life and the development of the modern commercial world.
Our Collection of Italian Ceramics
We deal with a few of the finest, small ceramic workshops in Italy who continue to produce pottery the traditional way using techniques passed down from one generation to the next. Each piece of pottery is painstakingly handcrafted and hand painted from start to finish ensuring that each piece of pottery is truly a work of art.
Our Italian ceramics are directly imported from Deruta, Umbria, Castelli & Tuscany, Italy. Many of the patterns we feature date back hundreds of years and many patterns are derived from Renaissance art. Our premier suppliers are: Fratelli Mari Maioliche, Ceramiche Borgioli & Bottega degli Artisti, though we do import from other Italian factories as well.
Other Italian Products
In addition to ceramics, we also import Italian Carrara Marble Fruit quarried from the same marble quarry Michelangelo favored for his masterpieces. Each piece of Italian Carrara Marble Fruit is hand sculpted in Tuscany, Italy.
And, from the medieval town of Scarperia, we import the finest quality, handcrafted knives available. Coltelleria Saladini still produces knives in a traditional fashion handcrafting the finest range of table and kitchen knives, table accessories, cutlery, corkscrews and cigar cutters.
Our store pays tribute to the original Merchant of Prato, Francesco di Marco Datini! Our products - all handcrafted in Italy - preserve a love of Italy and its traditions which are carried on to this day with products still being crafted today as they were hundreds of years ago!