Indonesian Wood Small Bowl

Outside, the log. Inside, a pool of glossy black.

Craftsmen in Java, Indonesia, made this small bowl in wood. The exterior is left raw, with grain-like vertical striations in tan, cream and honey colors, resembling petrified wood. The inside is cut into a smooth, deep, ink-dark bowl with a pale, irregular rim where the cream shows through. The overall shape is blocky and organic, with a pointed edge on one side. The surface has a slightly waxy finish.

About fourteen inches wide and seven tall. It makes a plain table feel like it was planned.