In American phraseology, the words ‘cushion’ and ‘pillow’ are practically synonymous, but in the remainder of the English speaking world, a pillow is used on a bed for supporting the head and a cushion is used on elsewhere for supporting other parts of the body. A pillow is normally much larger than a cushion nowadays.
The cushion and pillow were most likely first used by wealthy Asian men to rest on. They would probably be referred to as throw cushions nowadays. However, we are going back so far in history that dyes and textiles were very expensive, so pillows and cushions were only for the wealthy and the patterns were so intricate that they became pieces of art in themselves.
Needlework became a skilled profession as did weaving. Cushions were large sacks or cases filled with feathers, hair, wool, straw or something similar. These days they are more likely to be filled with man-made fibres such as polyester. Down is the most expensive filling especially down from the eider duck.
Due to international trade, the concept of the cushion started moving westward and had reached Egypt by the time of the Pharaohs. Cushions have been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. By the Middle Ages, cushions were to be seen in all the royal palaces of Europe. Cushions were still regarded as representing wealth.
The cushions of the royal palaces were substantial enough to sit in, a bit like modern beanie bags, and even started replacing traditional chairs. In those days, cushions were very large sacks made of leather, many of which had needlework patterns on them.
Cushions were also used in churches for the wealthy to kneel on when saying their prayers. These special but small cushions were called carreaux because they were square (from the French).
Nowadays cushions are everyday items because they are much cheaper. Most cushions in the West are 17 inches by 17 inches and the reason for this is the traditional size of a roll or bolt of fabric. A roll of cloth is traditionally 54 inches wide, so it could be cut into three pieces of 18 inches, allowing for seams, this allows the manufacturer to make a 17 inch cushion.
Japanese cushions were much and still are, but they have a different task. In the West they are used for support, whereas in the East they are used for sitting on on the floor. In Japanese they are called ‘zabuton’ and measure 20-30 inches square by a couple of inches in thickness, which is less than a quarter of the thickness of traditional Western cushions.
Zen meditators will often sit on another special cushion called a zafu or meditation cushion, which is placed on top of the zabuton. A zafu can be round or square but is small, often merely 8-10 inches in diameter and 4-8 inches thick.
Zabuton are used in all aspects of Japanese life particularly those aspects that have religious overtones or traditions such as sumo. Spectators of the sport will sit on zabuton while watching the bouts. If there is a foul or a dispute, spectators frequently throw their zabuton into the ring in revulsion.
Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a number of subjects, but is now concerned with decorative sofa pillows. If you want to know more, please visit our website at Modern Throw Pillows For Sale.
(that is the brave one).