17th century Yew wood gateleg

17th century Yew wood gateleg table. Yew wood is a durable wood with a fine colour and is highly prized amongst early cabinet makers despite the difficulty in working it. Yew comes from the soft conifer group of trees and obtaining wide clean planks from the trunk is difficult as this part of the tree is formed by the binding together of shoots. This fiborous nature makes it suitable for shaping and bending and was the ideal choice for the medieval archer’s long bow. It becomes more prevelant after the Reformation as a veneer or in constructional framing as seen in many Windsor chair frames. The construction of this table would have been both costly and difficult to produce, this would have ensured that the table would have been a highly prized piece of furniture.