How We Name a One-of-One Piece
Every piece in the archive has a name. Where do the names come from? Mostly from looking at the piece for a long time.
A name should describe what you see, but not explain it away.
Summary
- Each piece is given a descriptive name based on its silhouette, grain, or character.
- The name follows a serial number and helps collectors remember the piece.
- Names are chosen after the piece is finished, not before.
Key takeaways
- A good name captures the character of an object.
- Naming is a way of paying attention.
- The names are part of the archive's personality.
If you browse the archive, you will see that each piece carries a name next to its serial number. Names like Shadow Root, Mountain Neck, Volcano Shoulders, Rain Through Root. They are not random.
When we name them
We never name a piece in advance. The roots do not arrive with identities. Only after a candleholder has been turned, sanded, and finished, and we have had a chance to look at it, does it get a name.
It is a bit like naming a child, in that you wait to see who they are.
How it works
We sit with the piece and look. What stands out? A dark shadow along one side. A neck that rises like a mountain ridge. A swell of grain at the shoulders that reminds us of a volcanic slope. A flowing line of streaks that looks like rain on a window.
Each of us offers words. We try them out, say them aloud, and discard the ones that feel wrong. Eventually, one name settles. It is short, plain, and evocative, and it sounds right.
What the name does
A name makes a piece memorable. When a collector tells a friend, "I have Mountain Neck," the friend can picture something. It is easier to remember than a serial number alone.
A name also gives the piece an identity. It reminds us that this is not a product from a line. It is an individual.
The serial and the name together
The serial number, a short code, identifies the piece in our records and on the Verify page. The name is for people. The two are used together: a number for the record, and a name for the memory. See Serial Numbers and the Verify Page.
What we avoid
We avoid names that overpromise. We do not call a piece "Majestic" or "Legendary." Those words say more about the seller than the object. We would rather use a plain, observed detail and let the buyer's imagination take over.
A small pleasure
Naming is one of my favorite parts of the process. It is the moment when a piece goes from being a piece of work to being someone. We sometimes argue over a name for a full afternoon, and no one regrets it.
Common questions
Why do pieces have names?
Names make each one-of-one piece easier to remember and give it an identity beyond its serial number.
Who chooses the names?
We choose them together, after the piece is finished, based on what we see in it.
Keep reading
Every piece is one of one.
Browse the specimen archive and acquire the piece that speaks to you. Each is catalogued once and sold once.