 - design - aerobics ------------------------------- role of the chaise-longue (daybed) in different cultures: |
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--- page 1 of 3 / page 2 of 3 / page 3 of 3 --- egypt ---  reconstruction of early beds - palm sticks or palm leaf wicker, lashed together with pieces of cord or rawhide  egypt wooden bed frame (ca. 3100-2907 B.C.) leather strips were laced through rectangular holes in the inner sides and bottoms of the rails to provide a woven base  instead of using pillows, the egyptians used a crescent-shaped headrest at one end of the bed.  painting showing a bed, a headrest a stool and chests.  bed, found in tutankhamun's tomb (1336-1327 BC). this bed is made of wood coated with gesso. it is constructed of four distinct parts, the two sides in the form of cows, a baseboard and a string mesh mattress joined to the footboard.  painting of high egyptian bed with headstand  the burial chamber of nakhtamun, a craftsman of amun in the reign of rameses II, shows a bed on which the mummy is outstretched (1279-1212 B.C.) --- mesopotamia (sumerian, babylonian, assyrian...) ---  bas-relief of a neo-assyrian banquet scene shows king assurbanipal (662-627BC) reclining on a high daybed while drinking --- greece (minoan, mycenaean, and hellenic) ---     painting showing a bed, a headrest a stool and chests. --- the etruscans ---  tomb of the reliefs, cerveteri (ca. 600 B.C.)  etruscan sarcophagus portray a deceased couple (520 B.C.)  an etruscan funerary urn with the deceased reclining on the lid as if at a banquet (second quarter of the 2nd c. B.C.) --- rome ---  roman reclining, bas-relief  roman daybed, gennerally of bronze, from an antique bas relief  the roman triclinium  pompeian daybed, decorated with bone, a cheap substitute for ivory (1st century)  roman woman reclining on a coach, bas-relief (2nd sec. AD) --- see more: page 1 of 3 / page 2 of 3 / page 3 of 3 --- |
egyptians made no distinction between a day bed and a night bed; they used the same item for both lounging and sleeping (or chairs in combination with ottomans). the egytians did not recline at meals. the earliest known models were made of palm sticks or palm leaf wicker, lashed together with pieces of cord or rawhide. later, egyptian bed-makers introduced mortise-and-tenon construction and wood bed frames veneered with ivory or ebony, in common use with many examples being found in 1st dynasty (3100-2890 BC) tombs. there are sophisticated examples made from rounded poles that were jointed together and supported on finely carved legs in the form of animal legs, ranging from heavy bull’s legs to gazelle-like forms with hooves, and the feline type with paw and claw, frequently identified as lion’s legs. many beds were slanted down at an incline from the headboard. no mattresses have been found, though pictures exist (mattresses might be made of bound cord and covered with linen or animal skins). like many other african peoples the egyptians used headrests, made of stone, ivory or wood, instead of pillows for sleeping on. a footboard ensured that the sleeper would not slip off. the majority of surviving artefacts from ancient egypt have survived the millenia stored safely away in tombs awaiting the ressurection. in order to have a successful afterlife, the body had to be preserved, ideally through mummification, and the tomb had to be equipped with all of life's necessities including furniture. these were to supply both the spiritual and the physical needs of the mummy. paintings and models included with the burials also give a glimpse of the everyday life of the ordinary people. houses were mostly sparsely furnished. the poor had to make do with a mattress filled with straw or wool, a mat or even the plain floor. many beds were fitted with a canopy of some kind from which mosquito netting could be hung. the greek historian herodotus claimed that contemporary egyptians used the nets by day to catch fish... the most prominent building in babylon (2123-2081 BC) was the ziggurat, rising in seven stages of gleaming enamel six hundred fifty feet into the air. it was crowned with a shrine containing a massive table of solid gold, and an ornate bed on which each night, some woman slept to await the pleasure of the god (or his representative - most of the gods lived on earth in the temples, had large appetites for food and drink, and made nocturnal visits to pious women, giving them unexpected children). the principal figure in an assyrian banquet scene like this is always a man shown reclining to the right. to the left, his wife or mother sits on a high chair. servants, children, and other members of the family may also be placed in the background or beneath the scene. the greek word 'symposion', comes from 'sympinein' which means ‘to drink together.’ in ancient greece the word conveyed the idea of a convivial party (as after a banquet) with music and conversation. the conversation being the focal point with a free interchange of ideas. banquets were generally held with the sole assistance of men. the symposium had a distinctive social function centred around the elite male, the drinking of wine and the introduction of young males into adult society. a game called 'kottabos' was played at the symposion in which the lees of the wine are flipped from the cup at a target - a saucer balanced on a stand, or floating dishes. the gesture is often shown in vase scenes. the principal item of furniture for a ‘symposium’ is the 'kline', a daybed. the greeks changed from the normal practice of sitting at table to the far more distinctive practice of reclining on couches as early as the 8th century BC. it was usual for two persons to recline on each couch. daybeds are elevated above the level of the table. each man in order to feed himself lay flat upon his breast or nearly so, and stretched out his hand towards the table; but afterwards, when his hunger was satisfied, he turned upon his left side, leaning on his elbow. the 'kline' was constructed of wooden frames, mostly with leather thongs stretched to form the seat. these daybeds show a rather strong egyptian influence. for banquets, embroidered mattresses and luxurious cushions were used on the 'kline'. for sleeping, bedclothes of linen and wool were added. which included food and drink, was predominant whilst for example, in greek society the drinking party followed the banquet as a distinct feature. the internal walls of etruscan tombs such as those at cerveteri and tarquinii still contain the remains of magnificent murals which give us a considerable insight into the etruscan way of life. a commonly recurring theme is the etruscan banquet scene, itseems to be portrayed as less exclusive, with the inclusion of women and children and seemed to incorporate more of elite society as a whole. the banquet was also an intrinsic part of the religious ceremony at funerals. after all the formal funeral ceremonies were complete, the relatives of the deceased were treated to a sumptuous banquet, at which the spirit of the departed was believed to attend. sleeping at night. was developed from the greek prototype either with turned or carved wooden legs or cast in bronze. the roman banquet developed from a fusion of etruscan, greek and eastern influences. not only did both sexes attend but there was also a wider social spectrum of participants. banquets were renowned for their vulgarity and ostentation even at the time. romans also adapt these daybeds for the 'accubatio', i.e. for the act of reclining during the meal. among the romans, the usual number of persons occupying each bed was three, 3 daybeds were forming three sides of a small square, so that the 'triclinium' (the dining-room of a roman house) afforded accommodation for a party of nine. the guests reclining at ease on their elbows during meals, with their faces to the space within, up and down which servants passed offering various dishes, or in the absence of servants, helping themselves from dishes laid on a table set between the couches. |
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