Merchant Of Prato
5836 Aberdale Place
Adamstown, MD 21710
Phone: 240.215.4467
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 English Placemats made by Lady Clare Placemats in Great Britain.
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.
Deruta Majolica: Majolica, the name given to the style of tin-glazed, decorated pottery that reached its peak in the 1500’s in Renaissance Italy, is produced in many Italian towns, with Deruta being the most famous. Today over 250 factories produce pottery in Deruta.
Artisans in Deruta still apply age-old techniques to produce the ceramics, from throwing local clay on a potter’s wheel to meticulous hand painting using time-honored, as well as more modern designs. First, local clay is formed and thrown on a potter’s wheel. The, after two to three days of air-drying, the pottery is cleaned and sanded of small imperfections or bumps before the first baking in a kiln at nearly 1000 degrees centigrade. The object is then dipped into a pale-colored glaze, typically white or cream, that serves as an opaque base before decoration is applied with mineral paints.
Before the designs can be hand painted onto the pottery, the artists will use a paper pattern to transfer a design onto the piece, tapping carefully with carbon sticks through holes pierced on the paper. Some of the designs used date back hundreds of years, including the Raffaellesco pattern. The Arabesco pattern is reminiscent of Arabic art. For modern designs, the artist will paint freehand. After the painting is complete, the pottery is given a second firing at about 950 degrees centigrade.
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 Ceramic 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.
Maintenance - To maintain the high quality of our products, while ensuring optimum performance and avoiding any compromise of their effectiveness, we recommend that you do not expose them for long periods of time to sunlight or place them near to sources of high heat. This may dehydrate the natural materials, which could warp the handles.
Cleaning - To clean the product, we recommend washing it by hand rather than putting it in a dishwasher, since the action of the detergent and the long soaking in water could damage the handle made from natural materials or the steel blade. It is essential to dry the knife after washing.
Treatment - From time to time, it’s a good idea to treat the natural material on the handle with olive oil, especially around the wooden parts. This will keep the material hydrated and prevent any cracks from appearing. Apply a coating of oil with cotton wool and then leave it to soak in for a few minutes before drying it with absorbent paper towel.
Stain Removal - The steel in the blade also contains carbon. This element is required for the blade to hold its edge. However, in some cases, it may cause the blade to rust due to the limescale in water or the presence of salts, leaving bluish blotches or small dots of rust.
Sharpening - To sharpen the blade, just use a simple sharpening steel according to our instructions, or while respecting the gradient of the edge (which ranges between 15 and 20 degrees) and always working against the cutting edge, pass along both sides of the blade until you feel that the knife is sharpened. If further sharpening is required, we recommend bringing the product to our workshop or to any qualified cutler’s shop.
Warranty - The Coltelleria Saladini guarantees to repair or, if necessary, replace the product in the event of any defects caused by structural or physical problems to the product. The Coltelleria Saladini does not guarantee any products with defects or broken parts caused by poor maintenance, incorrect or improper use of the product, or by accidental damage, such as dropping the knife.
Responsibility - Knives are extremely dangerous and they should therefore be handled with due care and attention. The Coltelleria Saladini shall have no civil or criminal liability for any damage caused to property or persons due to improper, malicious or criminal use of the knives we have made.