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Shakespeare's Lost Interiors

Panelling for the Wall

'join you together as they join wainscot'

As You Like It (Act III, scene 3)

 

In-frame wooden panelling was one of the most popular forms of carpentry during Shakespeare’s lifetime. It was used to construct furniture such as chairs, chests and bedsteads, but it also adorned the walls of houses like New Place (when it was known as wainscoting). Two different sets of wooden panelling can be found on the Hathaway Bed in Anne Hathaway’s Cottage. The panelling visible on the headboard dates from about 1580 and is carefully decorated. The wood has been embellished with a geometric design using a technique called inlay. The central wooden frame features a mythical caryatid, a female figure also popular in architectural design. The panelling seen on the tester (the section above the bed) dates from about 1650. This is simpler in design. The panels here are neatly joined (fixed) together and each one features a diamond pattern carved into its surface. 

Either set of panelling might have decorated the walls of a house like New Place. The earlier, more elaborate example might appear in an especially high status space like a great chamber. It might be used to enhance specific features such as an overmantel (the section above a fireplace). The second set of panels is similar to the kind of panelling used to decorate entire rooms. Panelling would surround each wall, either from floor to ceiling or simply covering the bottom section of the wall. This diamond-shaped design could be found across urban homes throughout Shakespeare’s lifetime. Wooden panels provided insulation as well as decoration, keeping the cold out and the heat in. They were also moveable. Each panel could be taken down and stored or repurposed with relative ease.