This is a true one-of-a-kind piece. The olive wood bowl in these photos is the exact bowl that ships to you — hand carved from a single solid piece of Mediterranean olive wood. The organic, free-form shape follows the wood's own natural edge, and the single carved handle makes it as easy to carry and pass as it is to set out on display.

What you're getting: this exact bowl, about 28 cm (roughly 11 inches) long and 24 cm wide, weighing 680 grams. One solid piece of olive wood — not glued or joined, with the handle carved from the same block rather than attached — sanded smooth and conditioned with our all natural food safe wood conditioner made in-house. A free-form single-handle bowl carved whole from one piece of olive wood is genuinely rare. We set special pieces like this aside for our one-of-a-kind (OOAK) offerings whenever we can find them.

Ways to use it: a shallow serving or snack bowl for nuts, olives, dips, or chips, a catchall by the door for keys and small odds and ends, or simply a sculptural piece that shows off the grain. The single handle makes it easy to carry from kitchen to table and to pass around.

Why olive wood: it's one of the hardest, densest woods there is, with a tight closed grain that resists water, odors, and staining far better than open-grained woods. It won't impart flavor to your food, and with a little care an olive wood piece can last for generations. The wild, swirling grain and warm color mean no two pieces look alike — and this one is truly the only one of its kind.

Care: hand wash in warm water, dry right away, and never soak it or put it in the dishwasher. Every so often, wipe it with a food-grade wood conditioner to keep the grain rich and protected. Treated this way, it lasts lifetimes.

One of a Kind: this is a single, one-off piece — when it's gone, it's gone. The bowl in the photos is exactly what you'll receive, down to the grain.