Journal

Notes on how the pieces are made — the trades, the woods, and the traditions they come from. Written from the workshop, not from a brochure.

• The hand carved throne chair

  Throne chairs carved by hand from a single block of mongongo over 10 to 12 months, each one of one, and why they cannot be assembled or copied.

• Solid ebony, carved as functional art

  Why solid ebony is rare, and the tables, lamps and sculptures carved from it by named master carvers, each one of one.

• Functional art examples

  Thrones, tables, lamps and sculpture: one-of-one pieces carved by hand, and what makes each of them functional art.

• What functional art is

  What separates a work of functional art from design, from craft and from a carving bought as a souvenir — and what provenance actually consists of.

• Solid hardwood in a Gulf climate

  Heat outside, dry conditioned air inside. Where movement shows, where to place a piece, and how to care for it.

• Seven trades, ten to twelve months

  A chair is not assembled. It is cut from one trunk and passes through seven pairs of hands, each a separate trade. What that time actually consists of, and why a cut cannot be taken back.

• Questions to ask before buying a one-of-a-kind carved piece

  Verifying the edition, what a certificate must contain, telling solid wood from veneer, the carver, crating and weight, and what belongs in writing before you pay.

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