‘The driest wainscots you are able to obtain’: The differentiated Dutch timber market before 1800 and the correlation between supply, demand and application ; ‘De droechste waegescotten, die ghij weet te becomen’: De gedifferentieerde houtmarkt voor 1800 en de wisselwerking tussen aanbod, vraag en toepassing

Wainscoting was just one of the many products for sale on the Dutch timber market. A variety of sources would suggest that this was not primarily a case of thin, quartersawn oak planks around one centimetre thick, but much thicker, quarter-split, semi-finished products that were only later sawn into much thinner planks. A major reason for quarter sawing or splitting of logs was to mitigate warping. Finishings in particular required timber with a minimal tendency to split or bow and so wainscoting was often used for such work. There are several views on the etymology of the word ‘wainscot’. Bas... Mehr ...