Our Service Pledge

We will attempt to respond to all orders within 2 business days. However, a few of our items are located in a shop which we can only get to on weekends. Therefore confirmation of the purchase orders will be made once we are assured the requested item is still available. Shipment for those items will be made as soon as possible following receipt of full payment.

We trust you will enjoy your purchase. If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with your purchase, please let us know immediately so that the issue can be resolved. We request that you acknowledge receipt of your items within 2 days of delivery. If we do not hear by that time, we assume your order arrived safely, you are pleased with your purchase, and the order will be finalized.

OFFERS:
Reasonable offers are considered on all our items at their regular price through the "Make Offer" button. Special Sale items are not subject to "Make Offer".

PAYMENT:
Payment by Paypal, major credit cards, Money Order or Check is accepted. FOR ALL CREDIT CARD PAYMENTS, we will send an invoice through Square/Point of Sale so that you may process your credit card payment securely, rather than taking credit card information over the phone. International buyers, payment via Paypal only, please. Payment for any confirmed Purchase Order is required within 7 days. Failure to pay within that time, without obtaining the specific approval from us, will result in the item being returned to our shop inventory, and the Buyer will be blocked from future purchases from our shop.

SHIPPING:
We offer Free Shipping in the US via USPS Ground Advantage Insured. All items shipped to the Continental US are shipped with insurance. Should an item be damaged in shipment, Buyer is required to process the insurance claim with the USPS on-line and present the item to the USPS for verification of damage as required. If the Seller is requested by the Buyer to file the claim, Buyer shall retain the item and packaging, so that an insurance claim may be processed. Buyer agrees to cooperate with Seller in providing proof of damage for insurance claim purposes, including taking the damaged items and packaging to the local Post Office for inspection, as required. Failure of Buyer to provide proof of damage will forfeit the appropriate refund or insurance claim amount.

International shipping to Canada only. International purchasers should contact us for shipping costs. Any import duties or tariffs assessed by the purchasers government shall be the responsibility of the purchaser.

We use ecologically-friendly packing materials as much as possible... using recyclable cardboard, clean newsprint or tissue paper, bubble wrap, and, when available, eco-friendly packing peanuts (made out of starch so that they dissolve in water... although these may be more expensive, we are committed to protecting our environment).

RETURNS: Returns are accepted, but must be made within 14 days of purchase (see Ruby Lane's Return Policy for details). Items must be received in the same condition as when sold. When the item is received, you will be provided a store credit for future purchases from our shop for the price paid for the returned item unless otherwise agreed by us in advance.

About Us

Dark Flowers Antiques specializes in fine Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Arts & Crafts pottery and porcelain. We are sure you will enjoy the pure beauty and quality of these items for years to come.

We developed a love for hand-painted, signed and dated porcelain that was very popular in the late 1880's through the 1940's known as "china decorating". Many times, these pieces originated as porcelain blanks (white porcelain), manufactured in Europe (France, Bavaria, Austro-Hungarian Empire) and were imported into the US and Canada for women and men to paint. In addition, the Ceramic Art Company, Lenox Belleek and Willets Belleek companies from New Jersey also sold blank porcelain for china decorators. During World War I, porcelain and pottery blanks from Japan were more readily available and so were utilized by the china decorators during that time, and these items are known as "American Satsuma", typically with heavy enameled decoration.

Some of our items are mentioned in the book, "Women, Enterprise, Craft - Chicago's Atlan Ceramic Art Club 1893-1923" by Sharon S. Darling. A great resource for understanding the skill and talent of the Atlan Club china decorators.

During this period, many clubs were formed with exhibitions and competitions held among the artists and clubs. Pattern publications were issued, such as Keramic Studio Magazine, which provided designs and instructions on china decorating. As such, there will be similar designs and patterns on various pieces, however being hand-painted, each item is unique and one of a kind. When we find the patterns of our items in Keramic Studio Magazine, we note that in the listing. We feel china decorating is a lost art form, and so are drawn to the aesthetic beauty of the items.

We also love Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau pottery from Austria (pre-World War I, the Austro-Hungarian Empire), mainly from the Amphora companies.

COPYRIGHT:
PLEASE NOTE: All information and photographs contained on our listing are the property of Dark Flowers Antiques and are protected by United States and International Copyright laws. Reproduction and use of the information or photographs on our listings without the express written permission of Dark Flowers Antiques is strictly prohibited.

The items we are offering for purchase are described as best as we can, and we are providing the best information we have on them. All items are described to the best of our knowledge and as accurately as possible. We attempt to identify all defects, damage or problems with the items in our shop, as well as attempt to show them in the pictures. However, these items are not new, and therefore may contain small scratches or crazing that we may have missed. If you have any questions regarding the condition of the items, please contact us and we will answer any questions.

Like us on Facebook at "Dark Flowers Antiques" and our groups “American Satsuma Pottery”, “Austrian Amphora Pottery”, "Keramic Studio Designs" and “American Belleek”. By following us there, you will see our "Item of the Day" which highlights a particular item from our shop, and receive information of upcoming Antique Shows in which we will be participating.

Feel free to contact us with ANY questions regarding our items, and we will be pleased to provide any information we may have.