The branch inclusion has dried faster than the heartwood, creating the constrained cracking in the wall. The wall thins from the lip down to where the base meets the wall, creating additional internal volume. Even though my blowtorch trigger finger was twitching madly, I (unusually) restrained my burning urges! Cedar of Lebanon is a particularly pungent timber while being worked, like Elm and Jarrah among others, but I didn’t find the odour as pleasurable as many others do. There is no lingering scent as the piece has been sealed with food safe mineral oil / beeswax balm.