Kokopu or trout jade comes in a wide range of light tones, some of which show significant translucency and others not so much. This piece is carved from a bone-hued piece of kokopu originally sourced from the Arahura River - a piece with negligible translucency, but clean pale tones augmented by tastefully-light spotting throughout with a strongly-green and strongly-spotted corner that adds a marvellous contrast to the whole.
 
Traditionally used to apply make-up or ointments in ancient empires as distant from each other as the Egyptian and the Roman, small dishes such as this one have historically been made from either ceramic or stone. Whatever they're crafted of, however, they all share a few significant features - they're shallow, beaked to one side to allow for more controlled use of their contents, and wide enough to sit solidly on the surface where they're meant to rest during use. This one measures approximately 14mm deep, 107mm long on its longest side, and 78mm widening to 93mm on the shorter side. Despite its elegantly-rounded edges, it also sports a large, flat base that keeps it stable on any surface.