Terms and conditions - Rules for the returns - Shipment terms

Rules for returns and Shipment terms

Which sculptures can be returned-

The sculptures on the website mariaprimolan.it and not in the collection ‘Sale’ can be returned. The shipment cost will be paid from the artist/shipper only  if the sculpture does correspond to the photo on that website. In the other case the customer will pay the shipment cost.

Which sculptures can be change and the artist will provide a new piece.

The customer can request that the artist remake a sculpture in these cases -

1) The sculpture will break or it will show damages incurred during the shipment and they don’t depend from the artist/seller

The sculptures are shipped full tracked and insured and well packaged, as in the photos. The customer has 15 days to communicate to the seller/artist that the sculpture suffered a damage during the transport and request to remake the sculpture or request a refund. After that time the service courier and seller/artist will not provide to a new piece or refund the payment.

Some good photos at the delivery date are requested to document how the sculpture has been delivered to customer. After a review by the seller/artist and the courier, the artist can decide if she can remake the piece and ship it-

of the sculpture

of the wooden box

of the packaging

If the damage depends from the shipment , the cost to send the new piece remade will be paid from the seller/artist.

2) If the sculpture shipped and received from the customer does not correspond to the photo to the one purchased on the website mariaprimolan.it . Some good photos of the sculpture received are requested. The shipment cost will be paid by the seller/artist

Which sculptures can’t be returned-

The sculptures on the collection ‘SALE’

Broken sculpture or damaged

The terms for return and refund and request a new piece

 For Damage - Immediately communication of the damage and within max 15 days

Return For other reason - Within 30 days after the sculpture is delivered to the customer

Under what conditions can the items be returned

The sculptures broken or damaged by the customer are not eligible for return

Shipment terms

The Sculpture is sent fully tracked and insured. I ask that you safely check your order on the day it arrives as compensation claims cannot be submitted to the courier after 30 days, if any damage has occurred we must be made aware immediately within or max 15 days so that I can help resolve the issue. 

Information sent to the customer

-A set of photos of the packaging sent to customer at the moment of the collection by the courier

-Tracking number details

-Instructions sent by email and put on the top of the box shipped.

The customer should follow the instructions sent to open and to unpacking safely the sculpture

All Sculptures are made and shipped into a wooden box .

Customs fees may be charged during transport depending on the country destination.


Order preparation Time -
Sculptures to be sent to non-European countries are shipped with an Export Certificate signed from the Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Export Office. This document requests about 10-15 days to be released from the Export Office.

 

 

  • RAKU PROCESS

    Description of the process to create a raku sculpture. The photos don't show the same sculpture, but some sculptures to explain all the phases.

RAKU PROCESS

Realization of the sculpture

At the first
I made the sculpture made of white clay
It follows the drying and the first fire.

In Raku any clay that copes with the firing technique must be able to
withstand heat shock without warping, distorting or cracking. The clay needs to
have particles in it to allow water to escape quickly so calcinated China clay
or clay with temper (grog, flint or shell) added to it, is successful. This
clay occurred naturally in Japan.

The most porcelains and white
stoneware clay bodies are unsuitable for the Western Raku process unless some
material is added to deal with thermal shock, like quartz.

RAKU PROCESS

Coloration

After the first fire  I color lips and eyes with colored pigments
for ceramic.

I put the sculpture in the
white glaze and I start to paint the hair with oxide. For the hair I use prepared
glazes with oxides of cooper, iron and others, that give the sculptures
splendid colors and metallic effects. Raku glazes mature at a much lower temperature.
Western Raku potters rarely use lead as a glaze ingredient, due to its toxicity.

RAKU PROCESS

Preparation of the kiln

I prepare the sculpture in the
kiln. There are many kind of kiln and the results of the work depends also on
this. This kiln is out door and I can open it completely at the end of firing
to take the glowing pieces.

RAKU PROCESS

Ignition of the kiln

This is a gas kiln. The glaze
firing time for Raku is about an hour. Now I can close the kiln and I can turn
on the gas and light the burner.

RAKU PROCESS

Reduction preparation

At the first everything goes
slowly and while the sculpture is in the kiln I can prepare the reduction
chamber

The use of a reduction chamber at the end of the
Raku firing was introduced by the American potter Paul Soldner in the 1960s, in
order to compensate for the difference in atmosphere between wood-fired
Japanese Raku kilns and gas-fired American kilns. Typically, pieces are placed
in masses of combustible material like straw, sawdust, or newspaper, leaves,  in order to provide a
reducing atmosphere for the glaze.

RAKU PROCESS

Opening kiln – extraction of the sculpture

At the 985° degrees centigrade
the glaze is mature, the sculptures appear orange and red colors. We can turn
off the gas and we can open the kiln. I prepare myself to take the piece with
the pliers.

When we open the kiln it is
always very exciting!

The sculpture must be quickly
placed in the reduction chamber. The combustible material burn and I cover
quickly the piece.

RAKU PROCESS

Riduzione – Reduction phase

The burning of organic material produces the
distinctive soot coloring of Raku.

Sometime my sculptures in this
phase have broken for the strong thermal shock!

My pieces have glazed and fired using the
Western Raku technique.

 

The results offer a myriad of unique
iridescent glazes, crackling, and black-soot dyed surfaces.

The times in the reduction
chamber varies from a few minutes to a 20 or 30 minutes, this influences the
colors.

Opening the reduction chamber: This phase is
exciting, too, because I look forward to see 
how the sculptures appear

RAKU PROCESS

Scultura finita – Finished sculpture

I checked out the sculpture from the reduction
chamber and I can start to clean it

Here the Raku Sculpture
finished!