Know what you are buying.
The art and craft world has long suffered from vague certificates and unsubstantiated claims. Here is how we verify our works, what our labels actually mean, and what we promise if we ever get it wrong.
Our Four Categories of Truth
1. Maker Identity
We verify the actual artisan or registered workshop responsible for the piece. We do not accept blind supplier aggregations. Where possible, works are signed by the artist or marked with the guild's hallmark.
2. Craft & Production Process
We distinguish between hand-hammered, sand-cast, wheel-thrown, or hand-painted methods versus mechanised or industrial die-stamping. If an object uses both (e.g. hand-assembled on a lathe), we disclose the mixed process.
3. Material Composition
We verify raw materials: virgin brass alloy ratios, terracotta clay slips, natural mineral pigments versus acrylic emulsions, and teak wood framing. We do not label resin as stone or electroplated sheet as solid brass.
4. Declared Origin
When an item is described as "Madhubani from Bihar" or "Sand-cast in Jodhpur," that reflects the workshop's confirmed physical location, not an imported reproduction made elsewhere.
Decoding the Verification Status Labels
In every Maker Passport, claims carry one of three explicit labels:
The Santati curation team has visited the craftsman's workshop, witnessed the process firsthand, inspected raw materials, and logged photographic/written records on file.
Supported by direct material purchase receipts, government artisan card documentation, cooperative registration numbers, or verifiable artisan certification.
Stated directly by the artisan or their family workshop during intake, pending scheduled in-person verification.
The Santati Product Truth Guarantee
If any object you purchase from Santati Arts is demonstrated to materially diverge from a claim listed as Verified or Documented in its Maker Passport:
- We will cover 100% of return shipping and insurance costs.
- We will issue a full immediate refund to your original payment method.
- We will update the public catalog record transparently to prevent future discrepancies.
How to Report a Concern
We do not demand unboxing videos as an arbitrary barrier to service. To report an issue, simply contact our curator desk with your order number and photographs of the piece. A real member of our team will review the claim within two business days.