In the Middle Ages, a production of tableware was born. Alder was favored for making cups and bowls, while boxwood remained the most sought-after as its hardness made it suitable for combs, among other things. The absence of the shrub in England, Flanders, or the Lower Rhine region opened up a market for the Jura, where boxwood is widely present in the forests. It was also used for rosary beads intended for the pilgrims of Saint-Claude. Today, boxwood remains master turner Robert Marichy's favorite wood to work.