Classification Axes

ORIGIN AXIS

the relationship between human hands and the vessel's creation.

• P — Primordial. The cupped hand. One entry. Forever.
• F0 — Nature fashioned it. The drinker found it.
• F1 — Light work. Smoothing, trimming, minor shaping.
• F2 — Moderate work. Deliberate hollowing, basic sealing.
• F3 — Significant work. Extended shaping, natural drying or curing time included.
• F4 — Substantial craft. Hollowing, sealing, decorative or structural modification.
• F5 — Advanced craft. Multiple stages, extended time, joinery or binding involved.
• F6 — Expert craft. Multi-week process, specialist knowledge required.
• F7 — Exceptional craft. Months of work.
• M — Process is the primary shaping force. No individual human's skill made this. The hand that pressed the button is not the hand that made the cup.

LIFT AXIS

Assessed at Functional Full with still water at ambient temperature. The Lift axis records the minimum effort required to put the vessel into the position from which State 2 can occur. The Council classifies the vessel's demands, not the drinker's insecurities.

• L1 — Finger. One or two fingers sufficient.
• L2 — One Hand. Full grip or single handle.
• L3 — Two Hands. Both hands required.
• L4 — Assisted. Another person, a tray, infrastructure.
• L5 — Mechanical. The Council does not ask why.

Always singular.

FLOW-EXIT AXIS — The E Axis

How liquid exits the vessel to meet the lips. Assessed under standard conditions. The vessel manages itself. The drinker's only job beyond correct position is to drink.

A valid exit must deliver liquid to lips without unintended loss from any other point simultaneously, and without requiring the drinker to plug, cover, or manage any other point. Each exit assessed independently.

• E1 — The Open Rim. Lips rest upon the rim.
• E2 — The Specialised Channel. Lips meet the tip of an integral channel or spout.
• E3 — The Submerged Exit. Lips meet an integral tube formed as part of the vessel at creation.
• E4 — The Orifice. Lips form a seal around a hole in the vessel wall.
• E5 — The Immersion. Lips enter the vessel and make direct contact with the liquid surface inside. The liquid does not exit to meet the lips. The lips enter to meet the liquid.

Multiple numbers permitted. Each must independently satisfy the no-spill and no-intervention conditions. Written as E12, E14, E124 etc.

ORIENTATION AXIS — The OR Axis

What the vessel must do to deliver liquid to the lips.

• OR-F — Free. Any orientation works. Singular. Encompasses all others.
• OR-S — Single. One specific orientation required.
• OR-P — Precise. Very specific angle required.
• OR-I — Inverted. Must be turned upside down.
• OR-G — Gravity Fed. Vessel remains stationary. Drinker positions under it.

Multiple designations permitted except OR-F. Written as OR-S,G etc.

DRINKER POSITION AXIS — The DP Axis

What the human must do to receive the liquid. Always singular per State 2 moment.

• DP-U — Upright. Standard seated or standing posture.
• DP-D — Dependent. Drinker lowers face to vessel.
• DP-S — Supine. Drinker lying back, vessel above face.
• DP-I — Inverted. Drinker's head below centre of gravity.
• DP-M — Immersed. Lips enter the liquid surface directly within the vessel.
• DP-X — Transitional. Requires change in physical position during a single continuous swallow.
• DP-A — Assisted. Manipulation by a third party or mechanical force.

INTENT AXIS — The I Axis

The dominant human moment the vessel was summoned for. Singular. Survival overrules ceremony.

• I1 — Vitality. The Survival Moment. Hydration as biological necessity.
• I2 — Communion. The Shared Moment. Connection between two or more people.
• I3 — Contemplation. The Solitary Moment. Slow, individual experience.
• I4 — Ritual and Display. The Performative Moment. The vessel is meant to be seen.
• I5 — Defiance. The Inappropriate Moment. Drinking from something because it was not meant for drinking. The Council records these moments with a raised eyebrow and a steady pen.

Always singular.

THE ICD COMPOSITE CLASSIFICATION STRING

[Origin] — [Lift] — [Flow-Exit] — [Orientation] — [Drinker Position] — [Intent]

The Morning Coffee Mug:M — L2 — E1 — OR-S — DP-U — I3

The Yard-of-Ale:M — L3 — E1 — OR-S,G — DP-X — I4

The Traditional Gourd at a Festival:F3 — L2 — E1 — OR-S — DP-U — I2

The Fuel Tank:M — L5 — E1 — OR-S — DP-U — I5

The Porrón at the Moment of Commitment:M — L2 — E2 — OR-P — DP-U — I2

Compact Notation

The full Composite String is the canonical classification. It appears in the Registry, on certificates, and in all official Council documents. It is readable by anyone who knows the framework without reference to a lookup table. It is not abbreviated in formal contexts.

For use on product labels, badges, seals, and other space-constrained applications, the Council recognises an official compact notation. The compact notation is derived from the full Composite String by removing axis labels and separators. It is self-parsing when read right to left.

Parsing order, right to left:

• Final character — Intent (single digit)
• Preceding character — Drinker Position (single letter)
• Preceding characters while letters — Orientation (one or more letters)
• Preceding characters while digits — Flow-Exit (one or more digits)
• Preceding single digit — Lift
• Remaining characters — Origin (M, P, or F followed by a digit)

Examples:

Full Composite String	Compact
M — L2 — E1 — OR-S — DP-U — I3	M21SU3
P — L3 — E5 — OR-F — DP-M — I1	P35FM1
M — L3 — E1 — OR-S,G — DP-X — I4	M31SGX4
M — L3 — E12 — OR-P — DP-U — I3	M312PU3
F3 — L2 — E1 — OR-S — DP-U — I2	F321SU2
M — L3 — E3 — OR-S — DP-U — I1	M33SU1

The compact notation appears alongside the full Composite String, not in place of it. The full string is the truth. The compact notation is an address.

The Council does not explain the fuel tank entry further. It does not need to.