Bark Edge Burr Yew & Ebony Single Urn

English or European Yew (taxus baccata) is a species of evergreen tree that can reach 400 to 600 years old with some reaching 2000 years. It is primarily grown as an ornamental, traditionally and regularly found in churchyards and cemeteries. Historically it was used the middle ages for musical instruments, furniture and long bows.

This piece shows all the typical characteristics of Yew, the apricot of the heartwood and the creamy white of the sapwood, as well as the beauty of the burr.
It has been turned crossgrain so that the bark edge (the outside of the tree) becomes the feature opening, topped off with the Ebony finial threaded lid.
I have filled the small drying cracks with aluminium epoxy so as to make a subtle feature of them.
The term ‘burr’ is used to describe the patches and clusters of small knots, a highly prized feature for all woodworkers.