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 lounge 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 just 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 comparable. These days they are more likely to be filled with man-made fibres such as polyester. Down is the most costly filling particularly down from the eider duck.
Due to international trade, the idea of the cushion started moving westward and had arrived in 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 denoting 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 whilst saying their prayers. These special but small cushions were known as 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 fabric is traditionally 54 inches wide, so it could be cut into three pieces of 18 inches, allowing for seams, this permits 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 known as ‘zabuton’ and measure 20-30 inches square by a few of inches thick, which is less than a quarter of the thickness of traditional Western cushions.
Zen meditators will frequently 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 just 8-10 inches in diameter and 4-8 inches in thickness.
Zabuton are used in all aspects of Japanese life especially those facets 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 often throw their zabuton into the ring in disgust.
Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on a number of topics, but is now involved with decorative sofa pillows. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Modern Throw Pillows For Sale.