Tapestry of fifteenth century woodcutters

[rosamundgarrett]

Dear All,

I'm looking for someone who I can talk to about old methods of woodland management, or someone who has used historic/traditional techniques to manage their woodland. I don't own a woodland, and have never had an opportunity to fell a tree, so any discussion would be very useful to me.

I'm an art historian currently researching a tapestry from the fifteenth century (around 1460s) from Tournai (Belgium). The tapestry shows woodcutters working in an oak forest. The only image of it I can show you online is below, but if you are kind enough to talk to me about this further I would be more than happy to send you a high definition image so you can see it properly:

http://bit.ly/JihIHA

I have been looking for someone that I might be able to talk to regarding the accuracy of the stances/how the figures are using the tools within the tapestry so that I can gain a greater understanding of what it is like to work with wood. Very few art historians have written about woodcutters, but they are something that appears again and again in inventories, particularly in the form of large sets of tapestry that used to cover whole rooms. I feel that this was a subject matter of greater importance to those who purchased these works in the fifteenth century than has previously been supposed (this tapestry in particular was owned by one of the most powerful men in Europe at the time), and so I would really like to gain a modern day professional opinion of what it is like to work with wood using hand tools, and how this is represented in the tapestry I'm studying.

If you would like to help and you would like to see the image please email me at rosamundgarrett [AT] gmail.com. Equally if you know of anyone with an interest in historic woodland management who might be able to help please pass on my details.

Thank you.

Rosamund

[Emma S]

I wonder if the High Weald woodland archaeology team might be able to help you - they seem to understand alot about the traditional evidence for ancient ways of working in the wood. a google should show them up.

[RichardKing]

The lack of perspective with its flattening & forshortening, together with the stylising would probably not make it easy for even an expert.

The billhook seems to be being used to trim a branch that has already been cut, probably with that tool itself, although that would be with an upper cut to prevent it hitting the ground.

Is the man top left using a side-axe or an adze to work the trunk on the ground ?

I think frame saws of that type are still used on the continent, or at least I have seen a recent German made one, over here they seem to survive only as small bow-saws.

[RichardKing]

A useful reference would be the Dictionary of Woodworking Tools by R A Salaman,

Many editions

[jillybean]

hi Rosamund, may I suggest you contact the green woodworkers, www.bodgers.org.uk. they are quite a large organisation and use old tools almost exclusively.

[Meadowcopse]

The economic and cultural importance / influence probably can't be understated, particularly woth respect to how land was owned / utilised for the period.

Don,t forget eclesiastical resources and accounts, one of the woodlands I'm involved with was a monastic holding geographically between Valle Crucis and Shrewsbury Abbeys. I,m intrigued as to how it was worked back then...

[rosamundgarrett]

Dear all,

Thank you all very much for getting back to me, particularly with contacts I can follow up on. What I am particularly interested in discovering at the moment is what is what can be distinguished as accuracy and what is artistic license - this period is renown for making things appear highly naturalistic whilst many things are not real at all. As someone who hasn't worked with wood I'm really interested in getting to grips with the properties of it so I can have a better understanding. As well as speaking to people who have these professional skills the answer probably is to get chopping!

[lyn palmer]

A good person to contact would be Damian Goodburn, who has worked extensively with ancient woodworking tools and techniques. He's at [email protected]

He's demonstrating these skills at our next South East Woodland Archaeology Forum meeting in Kent - will post details soon if anyone is interested in coming along.

[rosamundgarrett]

Dear All,

Thank you so much. I have had many people interested in sharing their opinions and knowledge of ancient techniques, and many email addresses forwarded to me. I am extremely grateful to hear your opinions, and I am always happy to hear from more people.

All the best,

Rosamund