The majority of eighteenth century furniture was small and light - intended for occasional use, and arranged around the walls from where it could be easily moved to accommodate a variety of activities. A dado rail, of which this is a short section, was fixed to the walls of principal rooms at waist height to protect the paintwork from being damaged by chairs positioned in this way. As all architectural woodwork in an eighteenth century interior would have been painted, mouldings were usually made from a cheap softwood that was easy to carve.