Fresh mozzarella needs to drain before it's served. Not on a plate, not on a sheet of paper: on something that breathes, that lets the liquid pass through and holds the shape.
 

 
Maurizio's mozzarella drainer is in terracotta: a low bowl with a perforated bottom, made just for that. The liquid drains away, the mozzarella stays. Simple, like things that really work.
 

 
Terracotta is the right material: it doesn't absorb flavors, doesn't release them, washes easily. In Calabria it was used for all fresh cheeses, not just mozzarella. For ricotta, for goat cheeses, for anything that needs to be held and left to drain before it reaches the table.
 

 
Handmade by Maurizio in Altomonte, with the natural imperfections of a handmade object. No two pieces are identical.
 

 
A small, precise object that does its one job well. Just as it should.