How to Document a Handmade Figure Before It Is Shared or Sold

Create a dated record before a handmade figure is posted, exhibited, transferred, or sold. That record should identify the object, show its condition and construction as far as they are known, preserve relevant process evidence, and separate observed facts from claims about authorship or authenticity.

This is useful for both makers and collectors. Images and descriptions can circulate without their original context; later owners may need material or care information; and a figure may change condition during handling or transit. A clear file system cannot prevent every misunderstanding or misuse, but it can provide continuity.

Start with a contemporaneous object record

Begin with one record for each figure. Create it while the information is available, rather than reconstructing it after a sale or a long period of storage.

At minimum, include:

• Record ID: a short, unique identifier used in filenames and notes.
• Maker: the name or studio name as reported by the maker or current documentation.
• Title or identifier: the figure’s title, edition information if relevant, or a neutral descriptive identifier.
• Date made: an exact date, month, year, or stated date range. Mark it as reported or uncertain when necessary.
• Dimensions: height, width, and depth, with the method or condition of measurement noted where useful.
• Materials: materials by component, distinguishing documented information from visual observation.
• Construction notes: visible information about the body, armature, joints, clothing, attachments, or removable parts.
• Signature or mark: its location, appearance, and whether it was photographed.
• Current owner: identify the person or organization in the private record. Do not publish contact details without authorization.
• Condition: describe visible wear, damage, repairs, alterations, looseness, fading, or missing parts.
• Date last updated: the date on which the record was reviewed.

A record ID might be AF-2025-014. Use it consistently in a folder, image filenames, process notes, invoices, and handover documents. Keep public-facing copies of the record less specific when they contain private addresses, phone numbers, storage locations, or ownership details.

Do not overwrite earlier information when something changes. Add a dated entry explaining the change. This preserves the difference between what was known at the time of making, what was observed at a later date, and what was reported by a subsequent owner.

Documentation is not authentication: A useful record can show what was photographed, described, owned, or transferred at a particular time. It can support later identification and care, but no single image, signature, receipt, process file, or marketplace description should be presented as conclusive proof.

Photograph the figure consistently

Photography should make comparison possible. A repeatable setup is generally more useful than a dramatic one: use even, indirect lighting; a neutral background; and a stable camera position where practical. Avoid strong color casts, deep shadows, and decorative props that obscure the object or change the apparent scale.

A scale reference can help with later comparison, especially for small figures or close detail views. Keep it separate from the figure unless placing it beside the object will not risk contact or damage. Record the date of photography and retain the original camera files before making resized versions for sharing.

Capture the major views

A basic set should include:

1. Front view
2. Back view
3. Left side
4. Right side
5. Top view
6. Underside or base
7. A view showing the figure with any stand, clothing, accessory, or support that is normally included

Add close views of the face, hands, feet, joints, surface texture, signature or maker’s mark, unusual materials, fastenings, and areas hidden during ordinary display. Photograph the interior only if it is accessible without dismantling the figure or disturbing its construction.

Make condition images part of the record, not an afterthought. Photograph stains, cracks, lifting surfaces, loose components, abrasions, fading, repairs, replacement parts, and areas of uncertain condition. If a mark is difficult to interpret, describe it cautiously rather than treating the image as a diagnosis.

Use a simple filename such as:

• AF-2025-014_2025-03-08_front_original
• AF-2025-014_2025-03-08_underside_original
• AF-2025-014_2025-03-08_signature_original
• AF-2025-014_2025-03-08_condition-left-arm_original

The exact pattern matters less than consistency. Keep an index listing the filename, date, view, photographer, and any relevant note. Preserve an untouched archive separately from edited, cropped, compressed, or watermarked sharing copies.

Photographs document appearance and condition at a particular time. They do not, by themselves, establish who made the figure, whether a signature is genuine, or whether an object is authentic. A photograph can also omit information through angle, lighting, resolution, or cropping.

Record materials, dimensions, and construction

List materials by component where possible. A useful entry might separate the body, armature, surface coating, textiles, hair, eyes, fastenings, accessories, adhesives, and replacement parts. Use the maker’s stated information when available, and label visual conclusions as observations.

For example, “maker reports polymer clay body” is different from “surface appears glossy” and different again from “material not confirmed.” This distinction is important because similar-looking materials can behave differently, and construction may not be visible without access to the object during making.

Record:

• Height, width, and depth
• Approximate weight when it affects handling or display
• Whether the figure is articulated, fixed, or partly articulated
• Pose and balance points
• Removable clothing, wigs, props, stands, or accessories
• Parts that are attached, loose, or stored separately
• Visible joins, seams, fastenings, or surface layers
• Changes made after completion

Avoid filling gaps with assumptions. If the armature, adhesive, internal support, or underside has not been observed, say so. Construction notes should describe what was documented, not what seems likely.

Care notes should also remain specific and limited. A textile, painted surface, coating, wig fiber, clay body, metal fitting, or mixed-media assembly may respond differently to light, moisture, heat, pressure, and handling. State the maker’s instructions or known material information, and avoid blanket guarantees such as “safe in all conditions” or “will not fade.” Where the condition or material is uncertain, recommend cautious handling rather than a definitive conservation treatment.

Preserve process evidence and image context

Process material can provide useful context, but each item has limits. Keep the following under the same record ID when available:

• Sketches and design notes
• Pattern pieces and templates
• Armature or structural photographs
• Work-in-progress images
• Test samples and rejected surface studies
• Dated material notes
• Receipts for supplies or components
• Relevant correspondence
• Earlier descriptions or publication files
• Packaging and shipping photographs

A sketch may show development. A receipt may show that a material was purchased. A work-in-progress photograph may show a construction stage. Correspondence may establish what was reported at a particular time. None of these items necessarily proves that the completed figure was made by a particular person or that every component in the finished object matches the record.

Use a simple index rather than relying on memory. For each file, note its date, source, description, and what it may support. You might record that a pattern file relates to the body design, that a receipt documents the purchase of fabric, or that a message contains a maker’s stated materials. Label the strength and limits of the information plainly.

Keep at least two backups in different locations. A private archive and a working computer are not necessarily enough if both are exposed to the same loss or failure. Check that files can be opened and that the folder structure remains understandable. Backups reduce the risk of loss; they do not guarantee permanent access or prevent unauthorized copying.

Protecting craft images

When sharing images, use a separate sharing set rather than exporting directly from the untouched archive. Retain the original resolution and metadata privately, and consider adding a discreet credit, copyright notice, or record ID to public copies where practical. Metadata can be stripped by platforms, and watermarks can be removed or cropped, so neither should be treated as a complete safeguard.

Keep a publication log with the date, platform or recipient, filename shared, caption or description used, and any agreed credit or permitted use. This creates context for what was originally presented. It does not prevent reposting, alteration, or misleading presentation, and it is not a substitute for advice about rights or enforcement.

Separate records from claims

Several kinds of information are often mixed together in a listing or certificate. Keep them distinct.

Provenance and ownership

Provenance is the documented history of possession and transfer. Record owners or holding organizations, transfer dates, invoices, receipts, certificates, shipping records, and gaps in the chain of custody. A complete chain may not be available, particularly for older or privately exchanged objects. Note missing links rather than smoothing them over.

Ownership records document custody or transfer as reported. They do not automatically settle every question about authorship, copyright, resale rights, or authenticity.

Copyright and image rights

A rights note can identify the creator of the figure, the photographer, the person or organization authorized to share an image, and any stated credit or permitted use. Keep the wording factual and avoid presenting a record-keeping note as a legal conclusion. Questions about copyright, contracts, reproduction, resale, or infringement may require jurisdiction-specific advice.

Authenticity assessment

Authenticity is an assessment, not a synonym for documentation. A signature, process file, receipt, certificate, or consistent image history may support an assessment, but none should be described as conclusive in isolation. If the maker, date, materials, or chain of custody cannot be verified, say so.

Marketplace description

A listing should separate observable facts, reported information, condition, known history, and interpretation. For example, describe a visible repair as a visible repair; identify a material as maker-reported if it has not been independently confirmed; and keep promotional language separate from the factual description. Marketplace copy is an account of the information offered by the seller or platform, not independent verification of condition, provenance, or authenticity.

Use the record when the figure changes hands

Before transfer, give the next owner a copy of the object record, image index, relevant process evidence, condition photographs, and purchase or transfer documentation. Include a list of accessories, stands, clothing, packaging, and replacement parts that are meant to travel with the figure.

Record:

• Transfer date
• Names of the parties or organizations involved, using only the information necessary for the private record
• Description and record ID
• Agreed description of condition
• Included and excluded parts
• Receipts, certificates, or other documents supplied
• Image rights or permitted uses as stated by the relevant parties
• Known repairs, alterations, or defects
• Unresolved questions or gaps

Ask the recipient to confirm what was received. If the figure has changed during transit, the recipient should create new condition images and add them as a new dated entry. Do not replace the earlier photographs: they document the object’s earlier state.

Later owners should add new information rather than editing the original record to make the history appear continuous. A correction can be recorded with its date, source, and reason. This is especially important when a figure has been repaired, restyled, reassembled, or separated from an accessory.

One-page maker template

Copy this structure into a document or spreadsheet:

RECORD ID:
Maker:
Title or identifier:
Date made:
Date record created:
Current owner:

DIMENSIONS
Height:
Width:
Depth:
Approximate weight, if relevant:
Pose or articulation:

MATERIALS BY COMPONENT
Body:
Armature or support:
Surface and coatings:
Textiles:
Hair or fibers:
Eyes and other features:
Accessories and fittings:
Adhesives or replacement parts, if documented:

CONSTRUCTION NOTES
Visible joins, seams, fastenings, removable elements:
Information reported by maker:
Information observed directly:
Information not confirmed:

SIGNATURE OR MARK
Location:
Description:
Photograph filename:

PHOTOGRAPHS
Original archive folder:
Sharing folder:
Date photographed:
Image index location:

PROCESS FILES
Sketches or patterns:
Work-in-progress images:
Receipts or material records:
Notes or correspondence:

CONDITION
Current condition:
Repairs or alterations:
Missing, loose, or replaced parts:
Date assessed:

CARE AND HANDLING
Maker's instructions or documented material notes:
Known uncertainties:

RIGHTS AND CREDIT
Maker or figure creator:
Photographer:
Credit requested:
Stated permitted uses:

STORAGE AND UPDATES
Private storage location:
Backup locations:
Date last updated:
Changes since previous entry:

Collector handover checklist

Use this checklist before accepting or sending a figure:

• Record ID and object description match the figure.
• Front, back, side, top, underside, signature, and condition images are supplied where relevant.
• The date of the latest condition photographs is known.
• Materials are identified as documented, reported, observed, or uncertain.
• Dimensions and articulation or pose are recorded.
• Included clothing, accessories, stands, and replacement parts are listed.
• Existing damage, repairs, alterations, fading, looseness, or missing parts are noted.
• Maker or seller details are recorded privately as appropriate.
• Receipts, certificates, invoices, or transfer notes are identified, without treating them as conclusive proof.
• Ownership history and any gaps are recorded.
• Image credit and permitted uses are stated separately from object ownership.
• Unresolved questions are listed rather than implied away.
• Recipient confirms what was received.
• New condition images are made after transit if needed.
• The archive, sharing set, and backups are stored separately.

Final pre-sharing checklist

Before publishing or transferring a handmade figure, photograph it, measure it, describe its materials and construction conservatively, document its condition, and photograph the signature or mark. Preserve the original files, use a record ID and consistent filenames, back up the archive in more than one location, and keep process evidence with an index.

Separate provenance from copyright notes, authenticity assessment, and marketplace copy. State what is observed, what was reported, and what remains uncertain. When the figure changes hands, record the date, parties, included parts, condition, documents, and any gaps. The result is not a guarantee of authorship or authenticity, but it is a durable account of what was known, photographed, shared, and transferred at particular points in the figure’s life.