This one is a shallow platter turned from an end grain walnut cookie, and when it sits still it does exactly what the maker hoped: it shows off a natural edge with a bold radial crack running out from near the centre, treated as a feature rather than a flaw. The top face reads as concentric growth rings, while the underside carries wavy curl and a few small checks, so there is something to look at from either side.
The blank has been sitting around for years; the cookie was cut more than seven years back and cracked after the tree came down. It was mounted on a four jaw chuck on the lathe and worked by hand. Fully end grain stock is not an easy proposition, and it shows in the shavings, or rather the lack of them: the cut produced dust instead of ribbons. Even so, the maker says the turning itself was not overly difficult, and the bowl came through the whole process intact, which given that crack is no small thing.
My own view is that resisting the urge to hide the split was the right instinct here. The maker confirms the crack is not moving, so any reinforcement would be purely for looks, not strength. Even unfilled, the piece remains a usable bowl for plenty of purposes, with the noted limit that liquids and salads are off the table.
The open question is decoration. Bow ties in the crack are still under debate, and the maker sounds inclined to leave it alone, though a gold fill against walnut apparently has some appeal. I would love to hear how that decision lands, whichever way it goes.