Piece of wood, said to be the mulberry tree planted by Shakespeare.

Museum collections include mysterious objects with colourful histories. The handwritten text on this piece of wood claims that it is part of a mulberry tree planted by the famous writer William Shakespeare (1564-1616), in his garden in Stratford-upon-Avon, England.
Pilgrims flocked to this tree at Shakespeare’s home, New Place, in the century after his death. In the 1750s, the owner of the property had the tree felled at night, and the wood was made into numerous relics.
Intriguingly, the writing on this object matches a description in an 1866 catalogue of ‘Shakspeariana’. William Harrison’s collection included “original forgeries” of ephemera and written items, and so while the wood might not be from Shakespeare’s mulberry tree, it has most likely been in circulation as a souvenir since 1841, when as the inscription records, it was purchased from “the widow of Mr Penn by S. Gwinnett at her house in Scholar’s Lane, Stratford-on-Avon”.
How the wood journeyed to Taranaki, New Zealand, is unknown, but it shows how stories are created around objects, and transported to faraway lands. Stratford, Taranaki, was named for Shakespeare’s hometown, and commemorates the poet and playwright through street names and an annual festival, to this very day.
Text by Natasha McKinney, Curator, 14th July 2022

References:
A descriptive catalogue of a collection of Shakspeariana; consisting of manuscripts, books and relics, illustrative of the life and writings of Shakespeare, in the library of William Harrison, Esq., F.S.A., F.G.S., etc. of Galligreaves Hall, near Blackburn, and Salmesbury Hall, near Preston, Lancashire. 1866. London: Thomas Richards [printer].
The British Museum, Collections Online entry for 1864,0816.1, The Garrick Casket.

COMPARE WITH BELOW CITATION FROM "A descriptive catalogue of a collection of Shakspeariana; consisting of manuscripts, books and relics, illustrative of the life and writings of Shakespeare, in the library of William Harrison, Esq., F.S.A., F.G.S., etc. of Galligreaves Hall, near Blackburn, and Salmesbury Hall, near Preston, Lancashire." 1866. London: Thomas Richards [printer].

From pages 88-9 of the catalogue:
(a) This is to certify that this piece of mulberry wood, which I herewith have the pleasure of presenting to you, is part of the antient [sic] tree which lately grew at New Place in Stratford-upon-Avon, where Wm Shakespeare the poet lived and died, and which from the best traditional authority was planted by Shakespeare’s own hand. Wm Hunt, Proprietor of New Place, and Town Clerk of Stratford-upon-Avon. This memorandum is written on a card attached to the relic.
(b) W. Hunt, Esq., who presented this piece of mulberry tree planted by the poet, W. Shakespeare, to Mr Penn, his head and confidential clerk, was Town Clerk, and grandfather to the present Clerk of the Peace, W.O. Hunt, Esq. Mr. Penn would have rather parted with his life than this wood, so well authenticated. He was a most ardent admirer of the works of Shakespeare. Written on the wood.
(c) Purchased from the widow of Mr. Penn by S. Gwinnett at her house in Scholars Lane, Stratford-on-Avon, April, 1841. This wood grew in New Place, and was the property of the donor of this wood. Written on the wood.
(d) S. Gwinnett was honorary secretary of the Royal Shakespeare Club from about its commencement till 1830.
Mr Gwinnett, from whom it was lately purchased…