Handpainted Ceramic Oil Bottle

We call it an oliera — a round-bodied bottle with a tall narrow neck, made to hold olive oil or vinegar on the table. Each one comes fitted with a stainless steel pouring spout that gives you a clean, controlled drizzle. Our artisans in Vietri sul Mare shape them on the wheel and paint each one freehand.

We carry several designs. The lemon versions have plump yellow lemons with green leaves on a deep cobalt blue background — one style has yellow bands at the shoulder and base, the other wraps the lemons right up to the neck. The fish version has a playful yellow and red fish swimming across a dark blue body with teal-green bands at the top and bottom. And the sunflower version shows a big, open sunflower on a field of yellow and blue. All of them are painted with food-safe glazes, so they're perfectly fine for daily use with oil, vinegar, or whatever you like.

The round shape sits steady on the table, and the narrow neck keeps the oil from going stale too quickly. It's also just a nicer way to serve olive oil than leaving the tin or plastic bottle out. People tell us these are one of the best souvenirs they've taken home from the Amalfi Coast.

Each bottle is painted individually, so colours and details will vary slightly from piece to piece. That's the nature of handmade work from Vietri.