furniture and us
Pillow
A pillow is a large cushion support for the head, usually used while
sleeping in a bed, or for the body as used on a couch or chair. There
are also throw pillows (also called toss pillows), which are pillows
that are purely decorative and not designed for support or comfort.
Outside the USA these are generally considered a type of cushion, with
the term pillow reserved for the pillows on a bed.
There also exist "novelty pillows", (which can be throw or body
pillows), which are often designed as licensed products. Such pillows
include the popular "Fish Pillow" - a large body pillow that is made
to look like a trout. Pillows (cushions) are said to have special
healing powers in the ancient Incan Empire. Ralli quilt pillows are
famous pillows which are used in Pakistan and India. They are
colorfully embroidered and quilted by the women artisans.
History
Pillows were originally used mainly by the wealthy, and have been
found in Ancient Egyptian tombs. The difficulty of sophisticated dyes
and sewing techniques lead to the development of pillows as an art
form, with highly decorated pillows becoming prized commodities first
in China and later in Medieval Europe. The Industrial Revolution saw
the mass production of decorated textiles and decorated pillows.
Traditional Chinese pillows are often hard boxes made from stone,
wood, metal, or porcelain instead of stuffed fabric.
Types
A pillow is designed to provide support and comfort to the body. There
are three main types of pillows; Bed pillows, Orthopedic pillows and
Decorative pillows, with some overlapping of use between these.
Beds
Bed pillows are usually rectangular in shape. They are common in these
three sizes (in inches); Standard (20x26), Queen (20x30), King
(20x36). These pillows are generally covered with a removable pillow
case, which facilitate laundering, keeping the bedding fresh. The
'Oxford Size' used in many English speaking countries is 50cm x 75cm
(20 x 30 inches), while the 'Continental Size' used in many parts of
Continental Europe (i.e. not UK) is 66cm x 66cm (26 x 26 inches). When
considered as a subset of Bed Pillow, Euro pillows finish 26x26 and
older style Travel Pillows commonly finished 12x16.
Body pillows are as long as a full adult body, providing support to
the head and neck at the top and to the knees and legs lower down.
This type of pillow can be especially useful in providing support for
those who sleep on their sides and for pregnant women.
Orthopedic
Neck pillows support the neck by providing a deep area for the head to
rest and a supportive area to keep the neck in alignment with the
spine while sleeping. These can also be known as cervical pillows.
Travel pillows provide support for the neck and head in a sitting
position. Their "U" shape fits around the back of the neck and keeps
the head from slipping into an uncomfortable and possibly harmful
position during sleep. However, U-shaped pillows often force the head
forwards creating neck stiffness.
Donut pillows are firm pillows shaped like a torus, with a space in
the middle to alleviate pressure on the tailbone area while sitting.
These pillows are used primarily by individuals who have suffered an
injury to the tailbone area or who suffer pain from hemorrhoids or
another ailment of the colon.
Lumbar pillows are designed to support the inward curve of the lower
back, filling the space created between the lower back and the back of
the chair when in a sitting position. These pillows are generally used
to support the lower back while driving or sitting, such as in an
office chair.
Decorative
Decorative Pillows serve a dual purpose. They likely have fancy cover
material which serves to decorate the room where they are found. Since
Decorative Textiles are commonly 54 inches in width, many decorative
pillows finish about 17x17 inches. (54/3 = 18 less seam allowance)
When used to decorate a fully made up bed, decorative pillows are
likely thrown aside at bedtime, since they are not covered with a
laundrable pillow case, thus, while found on the bed, they are
primarily there for decoration, hence they fall under this category.
Decorative pillows are also found on furnishings in more public parts
of the home, such as sofas, chairs and window seats. Here, their
common use may overlap both orthopedic and bed pillows. For example,
unless a person has some particular medical condition, they will
likely use a handy decorative pillow for lumbar support, as needed,
while seated on a sofa. Likewise, for the occasional nap, decorative
pillows are handy for supporting the head or neck, even though they
are not covered with a pillow case, as are bed pillows.
There are five common synonyms for decorative pillows which are
descriptive of their use in the home. "Accent" Pillows emphasize or
accent some other part of the home decor. The terms Sofa Pillow and
Couch Pillow refer to the place these decorative pillows are likely
found. The terms Toss pillow and Throw pillow refer to the way they
generally arrive in their places.
Novelty Pillows are shaped like humorous objects (a banana, tweety
bird, a human leg, a former president), and are meant to brighten up
and add humor to a room or lounge area.
Floor Pillows are another subset of decorative pillows. These pillows
often finish 26x26 inches (one half of the width of the textile, less
seam allowance).
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