That's a morning glory flower seed. It's tiny, but its surface is engraved with a precise image by Sergey Jivetin, an artist from Uzbekistan who now lives in New York City.
The image represents the life, work, and origin of Diane Ott Whealy, a major leader in the heirloom seed community and movement. It shows a cycle of life through generations of people and their horticultural traditions. Jivetin carved it, like his other engravings, on seeds that reflect the personal stories of people that he meets.
Diana Hubbell of Atlas Obscura met with and interviewed Jivetin. The artist talks to people that he meets, engraves seeds using precision tools and a microscope, and then gives the seeds away. Sometimes he asks to make a copy, but Jivetin firmly believes that the seeds, like the stories, belong to the storyteller.
Beyond drawing metaphysical connections between the physical and the narrative, Jivetin is an artist of consummate technical skill. This fava bean is only an inch long, but it is a complete antique map of the world.
You can see more of his work on Instagram.