Bedding

[Saionji Shonagon]

Does anyone have any information on bedding and pillows pre-1600? I keep stumbling across Edo period (and later) items called "yogi" which are kimono-form robes used as coverlets, which leads me to believe people were sleeping under their own clothes at some point.

[Yamanouchi Eidou]

The Tale of Genji and several paintings seem to support this fact possibility.

Edit: (Apologies for being too presumptuous)

[Please Delete]

I concur. Sleeping beneath robes (usually hitoe style robes, at least for women) is what I've seen mentioned, and what I've seen depicted in painting or historical drama. Pillows are typically wood or clay, and are similar throughout Asia, being blocks with a depression for laying one's head. I've seen some films that have used straw-filled round pillows for peasants, but I don't know about the veracity of such a thing. I'm also not sure if they would have added any padding to the pillow blocks.

-Ii

[Sugawara Suzushime]

Since I just finished a read-through of the Pillow Book, I still remember Shonagon mentioning a woman using a "faded" robe for her bedclothes. It made me think that perhaps Heian women were mainly using clothing that was on the outs to sleep in.

I had also seen an idea that "pillow book" might have come from wooden pillows with a container large enough for a book. I think that speculation was one of Ivan Morris's endnotes.

I don't know if that helps. I'm going through the book again to make notes on something else and can post something more specific on these when I run across them again, if that would be useful.

[Saionji Shonagon]

Yes, yes, but I have to wonder when the transition occurred from sleeping under a pile of one's clothes to sleeping under a clothing-shaped quilt specifically for sleeping under. I suspect it's an Edo period development....

[Saionji Shonagon]

OK, it's Chinese, but this fellow is from the Asian Art Museum and dates to about the 13th century.

www.flickr.com/photos/70104978@N00/3847099618/in/set-72157621990102075/