Research:
Of solid yew wood with metal liner.
The European yew (taxus baccata), is a species of evergreen tree found to be “very hard, flexible and of great durability.” The Yew signifies immortality; its unchanging verdure and extreme longevity symbolized the doctrine of resurrection. However, it was also viewed as the tree of the dead, and the planting of yew trees in churchyards extends back hundreds of years.
The present section of yew wood may very well have originally been a prized relic obtained from one of the many impressive and revered churchyard yews of Great Britain. This charming object, with links to botany, was likely formed into its jardiniere function in the early years of the twentieth century. Renewed interest in the bucolic was then prevalent and stimulated by the magical garden landscaping of Gertrude Jekyll (1843-1932).
Full research report available on request.