NOVICA Artisan Handmade Basalt Bowl Heart Shaped Stone from Mexico Tableware Serveware Serving Bowls Hacienda [4.3in H x 8.75in W x 9.5in D] 'Tradition of The Heart'

Novica works together with talented artists, artisans, and designers around the world to produce stunning, keepsake handmade treasures.About this item: Prepare herbs, spices and sauces the way our ancestors did--with handmade stone tools. The Comonfort Group presents this heart-shaped basalt bowl, crafted by hand in a labor-intensive process.The artisans recommend that the bowl be "cured" before the first use. To cure the molcajete, place some dried beans, corn or rice in the bowl and grind with the pestle until pulverized. Allow the pulverized grain to sit for 15 minutes. Once this has been done, the molcajete can be hand washed and allowed to dry. This step will ensure that any stone dust remaining from the carving process does not affect the food.Hand wash onlyNatural stone - some variations in color and/or pattern are to be expectedHand-crafted item -- color, size and/or motif may vary slightlyFood safeAbout our Artist: Our group came about because of a tradition in Mexico ??? an emblem of the gastronomy and culture of our country. The volcanic stone molcajete. In our city, this stone is transformed into an infinity of figures, the result of the imagination and the work of Mexican hands, trained over generations. Grandfathers, fathers and sons have done this for as long as anyone can remember. The process begins on a hill, far outside the city. This is where we choose the stone that will become one of these famous Mexican mortars. The salsas prepared in a molcajete have a special flavor and texture. When we have a good piece of stone in our hands, we take it to our workshops where the brute stone will begin to take shape. Sometimes we're miners when we take our stones from the mines. And we're sculptors as we give them shape. But these men are also blacksmiths, as we create all of our tools by ourselves. Each molcajete is unique, as they arise from the artisan's

• Size: 4.3" H x 8.75" W x 9.5" D
• Handmade by Novica artisans using time-honored traditional methods
• Includes an official card certifying the item is authentic, artisan crafted and of exceptional quality
• Quality craftsmanship: Novica works with artisan Comonfort Group to craft this item
• Product info: Basalt