Designer: Emma Bossons FRSA
Dimensions: H 12.50 x W 5.50 x D 5.50 cm
Shape: 06/5
Edition: Limited

The Dune swale daphne is a critically endangered New Zealand plant, just one of nearly 4,000 of New Zealand’s plant and animal species currently in danger of becoming extinct. It is a small shrub that inhabited the sand flats on the Manawatu, Whanganui, and Christchurch coasts but recently it has disappeared from all but one site where only a few plants are thought to survive. This may be due to the sand flat habitats being swamped by grasses and weeds, frequently grazed by livestock, and overrun with rabbits and snails; all of which are probably reasons for its disappearance.

Almost 12,000 miles away from the sand flats, designer Emma Bossons FRSA was struck by the beauty of this small survivor and she recreated it on a slender vase shape, so that people around the world can appreciate and learn more about the unique and diverse ecology of New Zealand and its flora.