This is a stunning marble butter dish. I expected it to be incredibly heavy, but it is actually quite manageable (definitely not light-weight, though). It is quite large, so it will definitely be the center of attention at the table. I have a lovely ceramic butter bell that has a reservoir to hold cool water so the butter can be left out on the counter or table and it stays fresh, but this is not the same thing. My butter bell works out great for weekend breakfasts and brunches, but it is so hot where I live that it isn't really practical to leave it out all of the time so I keep it in the fridge until an hour or so before using it. However, it only holds about 3/4 of a stick of butter, which is fine for a family meal, but I needed something larger for when we have guests. This butter dish can easily two sticks (I soften the butter first) and as another reviewer mentioned, this is perfect for butter blends. Covered, it takes up a bit too much room to store in my crowded fridge, though. I have no problem transferring a ball of butter that I pre-formed or a batch of whipped honey butter from the fridge to the dish when I'm ready to serve. The butter dish looks really nice in the pictures, but it is even better in person. The marble is smooth with subtle grey swirls under the surface; the exterior of the dish and cover is polished to a high gloss whereas the interior has been smoothed but not polished so has dull appearance. It comes with a charming little marble-handled butter knife, too. I really like this butter dish and I'm happy to have found it. I think it would make a great gift and it arrived nicely boxed and carefully packaged in a styrofoam block and in perfect condition.