The Dovetails standard
What leaves our shop carries our name.
We build in small numbers, answer our own email, and put our hands on every piece before it leaves. These are the standards we hold ourselves to, no matter what we are making.
- Built hereDesigned and made in our workshop. Not outsourced, white-labeled, or bought finished.
- Materials named plainlyWe tell you what a piece is made from, where it matters, and why we chose it.
- Designed for real roomsIt has to work once someone lives with it, not just look good in a photograph.
- Clear expectationsWe tell you what is in stock, what is made to order, and when it should leave the shop.
- We make it rightIf something arrives damaged or is not as it should be, we take care of it.
For this piece
- Solid Mappa burl, one piece
- Chosen for figure and chatoyance
- Nine cups, brass or nickel
- Conservation-grade lacquer
- Signed and numbered
- Made only when the burl earns it
Chatoyance
Wood that changes as you move past it.
Some pieces of wood look different every time you walk past them.
The grain seems dark from one direction and almost lit from another. Take a step and the figure moves. Sit down and it changes again.
That's chatoyance.
Burl gives us the wild grain we love. But maybe one piece in fifty has enough movement for Hey Jude.
So we look. And we keep looking.
Not for the biggest swirls. Not for the most dramatic photograph. We are looking for the piece that refuses to look the same twice.
And on a menorah, that becomes particularly interesting.
Most figured wood spends its life under a lamp that doesn't move. Hey Jude gets nine small flames dancing above it.
The light changes.
The wood answers.
That's the piece we're looking for.
The grain seems dark from one direction and almost lit from another. Take a step and the figure moves. Sit down and it changes again.
That's chatoyance.
Burl gives us the wild grain we love. But maybe one piece in fifty has enough movement for Hey Jude.
So we look. And we keep looking.
Not for the biggest swirls. Not for the most dramatic photograph. We are looking for the piece that refuses to look the same twice.
And on a menorah, that becomes particularly interesting.
Most figured wood spends its life under a lamp that doesn't move. Hey Jude gets nine small flames dancing above it.
The light changes.
The wood answers.
That's the piece we're looking for.
The finish
Finding the wood is only half of it.
Finding a piece with enough chatoyance for Hey Jude is hard.
Then we have to make sure we don't sand it away.
The figure is already in the wood. Our job is to bring out as much of that movement as we can, and that means spending considerably more time on the surface than we do with our other menorahs.
We sand. Then sand some more. Then usually a little more after that.
The finish gets the same treatment. Hey Jude receives more coats of conservation-grade lacquer than anything else in the line, and we work the finish between coats until the surface is clear enough to let the burl do what we chose it for in the first place.
It takes time.
Between finding maybe one piece in fifty and the extra hours at the bench, we simply can't make very many.
So we don't.
Each Hey Jude is signed and numbered by Asha before it leaves the studio.
Then we have to make sure we don't sand it away.
The figure is already in the wood. Our job is to bring out as much of that movement as we can, and that means spending considerably more time on the surface than we do with our other menorahs.
We sand. Then sand some more. Then usually a little more after that.
The finish gets the same treatment. Hey Jude receives more coats of conservation-grade lacquer than anything else in the line, and we work the finish between coats until the surface is clear enough to let the burl do what we chose it for in the first place.
It takes time.
Between finding maybe one piece in fifty and the extra hours at the bench, we simply can't make very many.
So we don't.
Each Hey Jude is signed and numbered by Asha before it leaves the studio.
olid Mappa burl · Conservation-grade lacquer · Signed and numbered
Shop note
Maybe it was the Beatles. Maybe it was the fact that the piece already felt a little outside of time. The burl can look ancient one minute and almost modern the next, depending on where the light catches it.
Whatever the reason, once we started calling it Hey Jude, nothing else sounded right.
So Hey Jude it became.
And if we are going to put that name on one, the wood has to earn it. When this one is between batches, you'll find our other menorahs ready to light.
Whatever the reason, once we started calling it Hey Jude, nothing else sounded right.
So Hey Jude it became.
And if we are going to put that name on one, the wood has to earn it. When this one is between batches, you'll find our other menorahs ready to light.
Care: Let candle wax cool and harden completely before lifting it away. Do not scrape at warm wax and do not use anything abrasive on the finish. Wipe with a soft, slightly damp cloth as needed and dry it afterward. Do not soak any part of the piece.
Specifications
Every measurement has a reason.
| Length | 17" |
|---|---|
| Height | 3 1/2" |
| Depth | 2" |
| Weight | 2 lbs |
| Lights | Eight plus a raised shamash |
| Cups | Nine, brass or nickel |
| Material | Solid Mappa burl |
| Selection | Figure and chatoyance |
| Finish | Conservation-grade lacquer |
| Candles | Standard Hanukkah candles |
| Series | Signature Series, signed and numbered |
| Production | Only when the burl allows |
In the box
- The menorah
Frequently asked questions
The questions this one tends to raise.
How many candles does it hold?
Nine. Eight lights across the face and the shamash, which sits a quarter inch above the rest so there is no question which one it is.
What is chatoyance?
It is a shimmer that moves. The wood fibers run in enough directions that light comes back out differently depending on where you are standing, so the figure shifts as you walk past it.
Why is this more than your other burl menorah?
Two reasons. The wood, and the work.
Will mine look like the photographs?
No. The design stays the same, but every piece is different and this one is chosen for a quality that is different in every piece. Yours will be recognizably this design and unmistakably its own.
What does signed and numbered mean?
Asha signs each piece and gives it a number in the series. Every Signature Series menorah is recorded, so the one you own has a place in a sequence rather than being one of an unlimited run. It is part of what makes this an heirloom menorah rather than a seasonal object.
Is this a good heirloom or milestone gift?
Yes, we think that is where Hey Jude makes the most sense. A wedding. An anniversary. A first Hanukkah in a new home. Each one is signed and numbered by Asha, and made from a piece of burl we may have looked a very long time to find. It is meant to gather a few stories of its own and, eventually, be handed on with them.
Why is it only available sometimes?
The wood decides. We build this design in the years we find Mappa burl with the size and figure it deserves, and we stop when we do not.
Is it safe to burn candles on it?
Yes, with normal care. The cups hold the flame and the wax and sit proud of the wood. Place it on a heat-resistant surface, keep it clear of anything that can catch, and never leave burning candles unattended.
Luxury Menorah Mappa Burl Limited Edition
$395.00