Cypress

In Persian art, this tree is the frequently-occurring emblem of the religion of Zoroaster, and of the soul aspiring to Heaven. In Christian and modern symbolism it is the emblem of mourning. The device of cypre and myrtle a umed by Marc Antonio Colonna on the occasion of the defence of Ravenna is emblematic of “ death or victory.” The wood of the cypre -tree was much used for statuary by the ancients. Carved chests of cypre were especially used, in the Middle Ages, for keeping clothes and tapestry; its aromatic properties were considered a specific against moth. (Fig. 234.)