The name Holland cloth, or simply Holland can refer to one of two types of fabric:[1]
a
plainwoven or dull-finish
linen used as furniture covering
a
cotton or linen fabric made more or less opaque by a glazed or unglazed
finish (the Holland finish)
First documented in English in 1427,[2]
the name originally applied to any fine, plainwoven linens imported from Europe, and particularly from the
Netherlands.[3][4]
Holland cloth is used for window shades, insulation, labels and tags,
sign cloth, etc.[5]
References
^"Holland cloth". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.).
Oxford University Press. (Subscription or
participating institution membership required.) - "A hard-wearing, plain-woven linen fabric originally made in the Netherlands, used esp. for making clothing, bedding, and towels and for covering furniture; (in later use also) a smooth cotton or linen fabric treated with a mixture of oil and sizing or starch to give it an opaque finish, used esp. for making window blinds."
^"Holland (cloth)". Britannica. Retrieved 2010-03-04. Originally the name was applied to any fine, plainwoven linens imported from the continent of Europe, and especially to the product obtained from the Netherlands.