Terms of service

TERMS OF SERVICE

Last updated: 15 August 2026

1. ABOUT ETHOSALIS

ETHOSALIS is a gallery identity owned, developed, controlled and operated by Yitian Ventures HK Limited, a private company limited by shares incorporated in Hong Kong.

ETHOSALIS operates the website ethosalis.art and presents selected artworks, collectible ceramics, related documentation and gallery services. All goodwill arising from the use and development of the ETHOSALIS name and gallery identity accrues exclusively to Yitian Ventures HK Limited.

References in these Terms to “ETHOSALIS”, “we”, “us” or “our” refer to Yitian Ventures HK Limited when operating the ETHOSALIS gallery and entering into an acquisition. References to “you”, “your” or “collector” refer to the person accessing the website, making an inquiry or acquiring an artwork.

Our legal and business correspondence information is available in our Legal Notice. The seller for each acquisition will also be identified in the applicable Order Confirmation and invoice.

You may contact us at inquiry@ethosalis.art.

1. ACCEPTANCE OF THESE TERMS

By accessing this website, submitting an inquiry, accepting an acquisition proposal, making payment or otherwise using our services, you agree to these Terms of Service together with our Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, Shipping Policy, Legal Notice and any artwork-specific documentation supplied to you.

If mandatory consumer laws applicable in your jurisdiction provide rights that cannot legally be excluded or restricted, those rights remain unaffected.

If you acquire an artwork principally for business, trade, professional or resale purposes, consumer protections that apply only to individual consumers may not apply to that acquisition.

1. GALLERY AND INQUIRY-LED MODEL

ETHOSALIS operates as a curated gallery rather than a conventional mass-market online retailer. Publication of an artwork on the website is an invitation to inquire and does not by itself constitute a binding offer to sell.

An acquisition becomes binding only when:

(a) availability has been confirmed by ETHOSALIS;

(b) you have received a final Order Confirmation, invoice or written acquisition proposal;

(c) you have accepted the stated price, delivery terms and artwork documentation; and

(d) cleared payment has been received or alternative payment arrangements have been expressly agreed by ETHOSALIS in writing.

We may decline or cancel an inquiry before a binding acquisition is formed, including where an artwork is no longer available, information or pricing was displayed incorrectly, payment cannot be verified, identity or compliance checks cannot be completed, or legal, sanctions, fraud-prevention, cultural-property, import, export or shipping restrictions apply.

If we cancel an acquisition after receiving payment and the cancellation is not caused by your breach, fraud, payment reversal or failure to provide required information, we will return the amount received for the cancelled acquisition using the original payment method where reasonably practicable.

1. AVAILABILITY, HOLDS AND RESERVATIONS

Each artwork is generally unique or available in extremely limited quantities. Website status labels may include Available, Inquiry Welcome, On Hold, Reserved, Collected or similar descriptions.

An artwork displayed as Available may be subject to another active inquiry. Placement in a cart, submission of an inquiry, commencement of payment or discussion of acquisition terms does not reserve an artwork unless ETHOSALIS confirms the reservation in writing.

Any hold or reservation may be subject to a stated expiry time, deposit requirement or other written condition. Unless expressly agreed otherwise, ETHOSALIS may release an artwork when the applicable payment or confirmation deadline has passed.

Collected or sold works may remain visible as part of the gallery archive and are not available for acquisition unless expressly stated otherwise.

1. ARTWORK INFORMATION

We take reasonable care to present accurate titles, artist information, traditions, materials, dimensions, condition, provenance and supporting documentation.

Dimensions, capacity and weight may be approximate. Colours and surface characteristics may vary because of lighting, photography, screen calibration and the reflective, translucent or variable nature of ceramic glazes and other materials.

Descriptions and images are intended to assist careful evaluation but cannot always reproduce every surface detail, tonal variation or tactile characteristic of a unique artwork.

The final Order Confirmation, invoice, condition report and artwork-specific written disclosures form part of the acquisition agreement. If there is a material inconsistency, the final artwork-specific documentation issued or expressly confirmed before payment will take priority over general website content.

Collectors should request any additional images, measurements, condition details or documentation they consider material before confirming an acquisition.

1. HANDMADE, KILN-FIRED, VINTAGE AND MATERIAL CHARACTERISTICS

Handmade, kiln-fired, vintage and historically used artworks naturally vary in form, colour, texture, dimensions and surface.

Depending on the work, age, material and firing tradition, characteristics may include glaze crazing, pinholes, glaze crawling or shrinkage, kiln marks, fire marks, ash deposits, shell marks, feldspar eruptions, stone bursts, iron spots, firing distortion, irregular rims, uneven surfaces, tool marks, patination, wear and variations in colour or glaze thickness.

Where visible in photographs or identified in the artwork description, condition report, technical details or other pre-acquisition disclosures, these characteristics form part of the artwork’s material identity and are not automatically considered defects, manufacturing faults, damage or non-conformity.

Characteristics reasonably inherent in the identified material, age, ceramic tradition, firing technique or handmade process may also form part of the nature of the artwork, provided that this does not excuse a material misdescription or failure to disclose a known structural issue.

This provision does not exclude responsibility for an undisclosed structural crack, chip, restoration, material instability, material misdescription or damage occurring during delivery.

1. CONDITION AND DOCUMENTATION

Condition descriptions are prepared with reasonable care based on inspection at the time of cataloguing. They are intended to identify material observations rather than record every minor surface feature or characteristic visible under magnification.

Any known material damage, restoration or structural issue identified by us will be disclosed before acquisition. Age-consistent wear and minor characteristics that do not materially affect the artwork may be described generally rather than individually.

Where applicable, an artwork may be accompanied by a signed box, storage box, cloth, artist biography, certificate, exhibition documentation or other accessories. Only items expressly listed in the final invoice or artwork documentation are included in the acquisition.

Collectors should retain all original packaging, boxes, certificates, labels and supporting materials because they may form part of the artwork’s provenance, condition history and collector value.

1. ATTRIBUTION, AUTHENTICITY AND PROVENANCE

Statements concerning authorship, attribution, date, provenance, exhibition history, ceramic tradition and cultural context are made in good faith on the basis of the information, documentation and reasonable professional judgement available at the time of cataloguing.

Terms such as “attributed to”, “workshop of”, “school of”, “circle of”, “in the manner of”, “possibly”, “probably” or similar expressions indicate a qualified opinion rather than an unqualified guarantee of authorship.

Any specific guarantee, qualification or limitation concerning attribution, authenticity or provenance will be stated in the final artwork documentation.

Unless expressly agreed otherwise in writing, provenance information is provided to the extent known and reasonably supportable. The absence of a complete ownership history does not by itself indicate that an artwork is inauthentic or unlawfully held.

General educational, editorial or curatorial commentary does not constitute an independent authentication certificate, financial appraisal or guarantee of future market value.

1. FUNCTIONAL USE AND CARE

Some ceramic artworks take the form of tea bowls, cups, sake vessels, plates, teapots or other historically functional objects. Unless functional suitability is expressly confirmed in the artwork description or written documentation, an artwork is offered primarily as a collectible object.

ETHOSALIS does not make an implied representation that every historical, experimental or collectible ceramic complies with contemporary food-contact, microwave, dishwasher, oven, direct-flame or thermal-shock standards in every jurisdiction.

Where functional use is expressly contemplated, the collector remains responsible for appropriate handling, cleaning and care. Sudden temperature changes, dishwashers, microwave ovens, direct flame, abrasive cleaning, prolonged soaking and contact with staining substances may damage or alter handmade ceramics.

Any care guidance supplied by ETHOSALIS is general information and should be considered together with the particular age, condition, material and construction of the artwork.

1. PRICES, CURRENCY AND PAYMENT

Unless otherwise stated, prices are quoted and charged in United States dollars.

Your bank, card issuer or payment provider may apply currency-conversion charges, international transaction fees or other costs outside our control.

An artwork will not be dispatched until cleared payment has been received and any required identity, fraud-prevention, sanctions or regulatory checks have been completed.

Payment must be made through a method approved by ETHOSALIS. We will not request full payment card details, account passwords or other confidential authentication information by ordinary email, website form or social media message.

We reserve the right to correct genuine pricing, catalogue or clerical errors before a binding acquisition is formed. We will not increase an agreed price after payment without your express consent.

1. TAXES, DUTIES AND IMPORT CHARGES

International acquisitions may be subject to import duties, value-added tax, sales tax, customs charges, brokerage fees, storage fees or other assessments in the destination country.

The applicable delivery basis and responsibility for such charges will be stated in the acquisition proposal, invoice or shipping confirmation. Unless expressly stated that an order is delivered with duties and taxes paid, the collector is responsible for destination-country import charges and customs requirements.

ETHOSALIS cannot control customs assessments or guarantee that an artwork will qualify for preferential treatment as art, an antique, a cultural object or any other category.

A delay, reassessment or detention by customs does not automatically entitle the collector to cancel an acquisition where ETHOSALIS has supplied the agreed artwork and required export documentation, subject always to applicable mandatory law.

1. IMPORT, EXPORT AND CULTURAL-PROPERTY COMPLIANCE

Certain artworks, materials or destinations may be subject to import, export, sanctions, wildlife, cultural-property or heritage restrictions.

Completion of an acquisition may be conditional upon receipt of satisfactory identity information, destination details, licences, declarations or other documentation.

We may refuse, suspend or cancel a transaction where we reasonably believe that completing it could breach applicable law, sanctions, customs requirements or cultural-property obligations.

The collector is responsible for confirming any destination-country restriction that applies specifically to the collector’s importation, ownership or later transfer of the artwork, except to the extent that applicable law places that responsibility on ETHOSALIS.

1. SHIPPING AND DELIVERY

Delivery dates are estimates unless expressly agreed as binding in writing. Customs inspection, weather, carrier disruption, regulatory review and other circumstances outside our reasonable control may affect delivery.

Risk during the initial delivery remains allocated in accordance with applicable mandatory law and the agreed shipping arrangement. Where ETHOSALIS selects and contracts the carrier for delivery to a consumer, nothing in these Terms excludes any mandatory responsibility applying to that delivery.

The collector must provide a complete and accurate delivery address and ensure that an authorised person is available to accept and sign for the shipment.

Once packing, insurance, customs processing or dispatch arrangements have begun, an address change or cancellation may not be possible. Additional costs arising from an incorrect address, requested redirection, refused delivery, storage, customs non-cooperation or repeated delivery attempts may be charged where permitted by law.

Complete shipping provisions are set out in our Shipping Policy.

1. INSPECTION ON DELIVERY

You should inspect the external packaging before accepting delivery where reasonably possible.

Any visible impact, puncture, crushing, water exposure or other packaging damage should be noted with the carrier. You should photograph the unopened parcel, shipping label, external packaging, internal packaging and artwork before and during unpacking.

Suspected transit damage, incorrect delivery or material inconsistency should be reported promptly to inquiry@ethosalis.art with the order number, photographs and a description of the issue.

Failure to report immediately does not remove any mandatory legal right, but delayed reporting or loss of evidence may materially affect our ability to investigate or pursue a carrier or insurance claim.

Packaging and damaged components must not be discarded until we confirm that they are no longer required.

1. CANCELLATION, WITHDRAWAL AND RETURNS

Cancellations, statutory withdrawal rights, authorised returns, return costs, damaged or materially misdescribed works and refunds are governed by our Refund Policy.

Where a statutory right of withdrawal applies, nothing in these Terms removes or restricts that right.

All international returns require prior written authorisation. The applicable return address, approved carrier, customs instructions and return authorisation details will be supplied for the individual transaction.

Collectors must not send an artwork to a website, registered office, correspondence address or original dispatch location unless that address has been confirmed by ETHOSALIS in writing for the particular return.

1. PERMITTED INSPECTION, USE AND DIMINISHED VALUE

During any applicable statutory withdrawal period, an artwork may be carefully unpacked, handled and visually inspected only to the extent reasonably necessary to establish its nature and characteristics, and only in a manner comparable to the inspection normally permitted in a physical gallery.

Unless expressly authorised by ETHOSALIS in writing, the artwork must not be used for food or beverages, filled with liquid, drunk from, served from, rinsed, washed, soaked, seasoned, cleaned, polished, altered, repaired or otherwise handled in a manner that may leave traces, change its surface or condition, or affect its provenance and future presentation.

Because each artwork may be unique, the use of a vessel for drinking or serving may make it impossible for ETHOSALIS to represent or resell the artwork as unused or in its original collector-grade condition. Such use or handling is ordinarily beyond what is reasonably necessary for inspection.

Use or handling beyond necessary inspection does not automatically remove any mandatory statutory right of withdrawal. However, where permitted by applicable law, the collector will be responsible for any objectively demonstrated diminution in value resulting from that use or handling.

Diminished value may include reasonable inspection, conservation, specialist assessment or cleaning costs; physical alteration, staining, odour, residue, scratching, surface change or other condition changes; loss of or damage to the original box, signed box, documentation, wrapping or accessories; and the documented reduction between the value of the artwork in the condition supplied and its value in the condition returned.

This may include loss resulting from the artwork no longer being capable of being truthfully presented or sold as unused or in its original collector-grade condition.

Any assessment of diminished value will be made individually and supported by reasonable evidence, which may include pre-dispatch condition records, photographs, video, return inspection findings, specialist opinion and relevant market evidence.

Any deduction will reflect the objectively demonstrated loss and will not operate as a penalty, fixed restocking fee or automatic refusal of the return.

Nothing in this section excludes or limits any mandatory right or remedy relating to an artwork that was damaged in transit, defective, materially misdescribed or not in the condition disclosed before acquisition.

1. COMMISSIONED, PERSONALISED AND SPECIALLY SOURCED WORKS

To the extent permitted by applicable law, a statutory or voluntary change-of-mind return may not apply to an artwork that has been commissioned, personalised, altered, restored at the collector’s request, specially sourced for the collector or otherwise prepared to the collector’s individual specification.

Any applicable exclusion will be communicated before the collector becomes bound. This section does not limit remedies for an artwork that is damaged, defective, materially misdescribed or does not conform to the agreed specification.

1. NO INVESTMENT GUARANTEE

Artworks are acquired for their artistic, cultural, material and personal significance.

ETHOSALIS does not guarantee future appreciation, liquidity, resale value, auction performance, artist-market development or investment return.

Curatorial opinions and collector perspectives published by ETHOSALIS are informed opinions rather than financial, tax, legal or investment advice.

1. ETHOSALIS BRAND AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

The ETHOSALIS name, gallery identity, logos, visual presentation, website domains, original graphics, cataloguing structure, curatorial texts, photography, video, artwork documentation and compilation are owned by, controlled by or licensed to Yitian Ventures HK Limited.

All goodwill generated through the use of the ETHOSALIS name, identity and associated gallery materials belongs exclusively to Yitian Ventures HK Limited.

No person may use, register, reproduce or imitate the ETHOSALIS name, logo, visual identity or any confusingly similar name, mark, domain name, social-media identifier or commercial presentation in a manner that suggests endorsement, affiliation, authorship or association with ETHOSALIS or Yitian Ventures HK Limited.

You may view and retain website content for personal, non-commercial reference. You may not, without prior written permission:

(a) reproduce, republish, distribute, modify or commercially exploit website content;

(b) systematically scrape, extract, aggregate or republish catalogue information or images;

(c) use ETHOSALIS content, documentation or data to train, develop, test or improve an automated or artificial-intelligence system;

(d) remove copyright, attribution, watermark or rights-management information;

(e) create a substantially similar gallery presentation, catalogue compilation or commercial identity by copying distinctive ETHOSALIS materials; or

(f) represent yourself as connected with, authorised by or acting for ETHOSALIS or Yitian Ventures HK Limited.

Acquisition of an artwork does not transfer copyright, reproduction rights, moral rights, trade mark rights or other intellectual-property rights in the artwork or related images and documentation unless expressly agreed in writing.

Copyright and other rights in the artwork itself remain with the relevant artist or other rights holder where applicable.

1. ACCEPTABLE USE

You must not use the website to engage in unlawful activity, interfere with security, introduce malicious code, impersonate another person, submit false payment or identity information, harvest data or attempt unauthorised access to the website or related systems.

You must not use the website, artwork information or ETHOSALIS identity to create misleading listings, counterfeit documentation, false provenance, unauthorised reproductions or fraudulent resale materials.

We may restrict access, cancel an inquiry or suspend service where reasonably necessary to protect collectors, artists, ETHOSALIS, Yitian Ventures HK Limited or the integrity of the website.

1. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

The website may rely on or link to third-party services, including Shopify, payment processors, analytics providers, shipping carriers and external websites.

Third-party services may be governed by separate terms and privacy policies. ETHOSALIS is not responsible for third-party content or conduct outside our reasonable control, but this does not exclude responsibility that cannot lawfully be excluded.

The presence of a third-party reference or link does not necessarily constitute endorsement.

1. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, ETHOSALIS and Yitian Ventures HK Limited will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special or consequential losses that were not reasonably foreseeable when the agreement was made.

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability where exclusion or limitation would be unlawful, including liability for fraud, fraudulent misrepresentation, wilful misconduct, death or personal injury caused by negligence, or mandatory consumer rights.

Where liability may lawfully be limited, our aggregate liability arising from a particular acquisition will not exceed the amount paid for that acquisition, except where applicable law requires otherwise.

Nothing in these Terms creates liability for a subjective change in appreciation, taste, market preference or opinion concerning an artwork where the artwork materially conforms to the agreed description and condition disclosures.

1. EVENTS OUTSIDE REASONABLE CONTROL

ETHOSALIS will not be responsible for delay or failure caused by circumstances outside our reasonable control, including natural disasters, war, civil disturbance, epidemic, governmental action, customs delay, carrier disruption, labour dispute, cyberattack, sanctions, regulatory intervention or failure of essential infrastructure.

We will take reasonable steps to minimise the effect of such circumstances and communicate material delays.

1. CHANGES TO THE WEBSITE AND THESE TERMS

We may update, correct, suspend or remove website content and may revise these Terms to reflect changes in our services, operating practices or legal requirements.

The Terms applying to an acquisition are those made available when the binding acquisition was formed, together with the artwork-specific documentation issued for that acquisition. Later changes will not retrospectively remove agreed or mandatory rights.

1. SEVERABILITY AND NO WAIVER

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will continue in effect. The invalid provision will be interpreted or adjusted only to the minimum extent necessary to make it lawful and enforceable.

A failure or delay by ETHOSALIS to exercise a right does not waive that right. A waiver is effective only when expressly confirmed in writing.

1. ENTIRE AGREEMENT AND ORDER OF PRIORITY

These Terms, the applicable Order Confirmation or invoice, artwork-specific documentation, Privacy Policy, Refund Policy, Shipping Policy and Legal Notice constitute the agreement relating to an acquisition.

If there is an inconsistency, the following order of priority applies unless expressly agreed otherwise:

(a) mandatory applicable law;

(b) the final Order Confirmation, invoice or written acquisition agreement;

(c) artwork-specific condition and disclosure documentation;

(d) the Refund Policy and Shipping Policy for matters within their respective scope; and

(e) these Terms of Service.

No statement made in informal correspondence, social media or general editorial content modifies the final acquisition terms unless expressly confirmed by ETHOSALIS in writing.

1. GOVERNING LAW AND MANDATORY CONSUMER RIGHTS

These Terms and transactions with ETHOSALIS are governed by the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, unless mandatory law requires otherwise.

The courts of Hong Kong will have jurisdiction, subject to any mandatory right a consumer may have to bring or defend proceedings in another competent jurisdiction.

If you are a consumer in the European Union, European Economic Area, United Kingdom or another jurisdiction providing mandatory consumer protection, this governing-law provision does not deprive you of protections that cannot legally be excluded by agreement.

1. CONTACT AND COMPLAINTS

Questions concerning these Terms, an artwork, an acquisition or a complaint may be sent to:

ETHOSALIS

Email: inquiry@ethosalis.art

Website: https://ethosalis.art

Please include the relevant artwork title and Order Confirmation or invoice number where applicable.

Information concerning the website operator and its business correspondence address is available in our Legal Notice.

Please do not send payment card details, passwords or other confidential financial information by email, website form or social media message.