In addition to speaking to the 19th and early 20th century philosophies on the qualities of a prosperous rural town dependent upon the participation and skill specialization of its population, the plant stand is an interesting impression of a much larger 19th and early 20th-century interest in wicker or rattan furnishings often made from willow twigs, reeds, and other pliant twig plants. In her book, Rustic Furniture, Sue Honacker Stephenson argues that twig furniture possesses a "decorative symbolism" that functions as a rebellion against commercial and industrial excess, an ideology directly referencing and responding to the Arts and Crafts Movement. She goes on to interpret the furniture as a statement against modern consumption though the objects denial of industrial facture and its embrace of unfinished material. "As a decorative symbol, a rustic seat is astonishingly literal, being constructed of the bare roots of trees." Richard Saunders claims that wicker furniture "captured the mood of the times to a 'T,' reveling in the adoration of the home as an island of refuge that celebrated any handmade or eclectic decoration." Likewise, countless primary sources, from advertisements to articles on home decoration, emphasize the appeal of willow furnishings. Between 1911 and 1915, the periodical Art & Decoration published articles by various authors titled "The Informal Note in Summer Furniture," "The Use and Beauty of Willow Furniture," and "The Adaptable Willow: Its Appeal of Structure Line and Form." At the same time, advertisements use language such as "The Final Note of Comfort," "Hand – Wrought Willow Furniture commands a place in even the most lavish home," "no other investment insures artistic results at such a low cost," and "see these unique pieces to realize the home-like atmosphere they impart." Advertisements highlight desirable qualities inherent in willow furnishings including being handmade, artistic, and low cost.