Fish - CRYSTAL
Intake: November 20, 2025
Found: Trinidad, California — in a tide pool, as the tide went out, and then for some time afterwards.
Condition on arrival: Good. Cold. Had not moved.
Temperament: Magnificent. Silver from nose to tail. Enormous head. Very little in it.
Light: Cool light. North-facing walls, overcast rooms. Direct afternoon sun makes him look tired.
Attention: Low. He’d rather you admired him from across the room, which is also the distance at which he is most impressive.
Good with children: Yes. They explain things to him and he takes it well.
Good with other residents: Yes. He does not follow the conversation but he enjoys being near it.
Requirements: Please decide where he’s going before you hang him. He will not work out that he could be somewhere better.
Hook: “We waited forty minutes for the tide. It did not occur to him to leave.”
Crystal is a mahi-mahi in silver, and he is the single most impressive-looking resident in this building. That head. That colour. People stop in front of him.
He was in a tide pool at Trinidad, and he was still in it forty minutes after the water had gone, because leaving had not occurred to him. It is a large head and there is a great deal of room in it. We say this with total affection: Crystal is not a thinker. Crystal is a presence.
He has a sister here. They have not spoken in years and neither of them will say why. More on that another day.
Product Details:
Dimensions: 18" x 10" x 1"
Weight: 2.3 lbs
Material: Authentic driftwood
Finish: Weathered hand-painted finish
Display: Wall hanging or shelf styling
Use: Indoor or covered patio
Care: Wipe clean with a dry cloth; avoid cleaning agents
Note: Each piece may vary slightly in color, texture, and finish due to its handmade nature.