Mara 32oz. Curved Water Pitcher - Several Design Choices Each piece is high temperature fired and finished by hand. Minor imperfections are therefore a common characteristic of hand-finished stoneware products. Strict quality control has been established to ensure you the highest quality possible at the best price. Lead Free, Microwave & Dishwasher Safe. There are many factors that determine variations in colors that result from high-fired glazed stoneware, many of which are a challenge to control. Therefore, each piece is unique and there are often variations in color. Only lead free glazes are used. Mara is an accomplished painter, sculptor and ceramicist who has studied engraving with the famous artist Alfredo Zalce. After studying art in London, she began working with high-temperature ceramics and created wonderfully unique glazes for her pieces. She then went on to study with the Italian ceramist, Bruno Terese, in Italy. Mara has had numerous expositions of her original pieces in Europe, the United States and Mexico. Currently Mara works daily at her studios creating an enchanting array of original pieces in varied mediums. She is a master of the complicated art of mixing glazes and gives her skill each day in overseeing the production of the fine line of ceramic tableware presented here. ]]>