Reading a surface: patina, wear and repair

A surface tells the truth about an object. Before a work enters the collection we photograph it in raking light, so that every ridge, check and old repair reads clearly rather than being flattered away.

Patina is not dirt. It is the accumulated record of handling, ritual use and age — the slow darkening of wood where hands have rested, the polish of a carried piece, the matte of a sheltered one. We describe it; we never invent it.

Where a work has been repaired, we say so. An honest condition note is worth more to a serious collector than a flawless photograph, because it lets them decide for themselves.