Frequently Asked Questions:
1. 100% Hand-made: Each of our bisques (the unpainted clay shape) is produced by hand using a potter's wheel, hand presses, hands gauges or pour molds. We make a total of 31 shapes.
2. 100% Hand-painted: All our painting is done completely free hand. This means we use no stencils, tracing, decals or any machinery in the decorative process. We paint out designs on the same 31 shapes, with the single exception of the tajine.
3. Firing: Our bisques are fired at about 1,010 degrees Celsius and the glaze firing is done between 980 and 1,005 degrees Celsius.
4. Food safe: We use only food safe paints and glazes that we procure from several sources in Spain, Italy and France. This means our tableware is safe for daily contact with food with regards to lead and cadmium. We have our ceramics tested at an independent laboratory in Seattle using methods approved by the FDA and California Prop 65 to include the latest legal requirements for compliance to include ASTM C-927-80 testing method for inner surface, lip/rim and exterior decoration.
5. Labor Conditions: Our labor and working conditions are exemplary. We pay above industry-average wages and pay into the national health care and social security system. Our employees are not segregated by gender and we have roughly 50/50 ratio of male to female employees. In the hot summer months of July and August, the workday ends at 1pm every day so the staff can head to the beaches while earning full salary. Through out the year, overtime is voluntary and is paid at 150% of regular salary. And we certainly use no child labor – all of our employees are over the age of 18.
6. We have our warehouse located in Clinton, Washington. Ocean containers take about two months to go from our studio in Nabeul to Clinton so stock outages are a reality. We aim to stock all shapes in every design at all times for immediate shipment.
7. Our tableware is safe for use in the dishwasher. It is also safe for use in the microwave though the piece itself may get hot to the touch so please handle with care.
8. Our ceramics are not made for use on the stovetop or in the oven, with the single exception of our cookable tajine. The clay for the cookable tajine is a different mix and has the refractory properties for us at low temperature on the stovetop. Please see our separate instruction sheet for more information on our cookable tajine.