Zabuton
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A zabuton (kanji: 座布団, hiragana: ざぶとん, 'sitting futon',[1] Japanese pronunciation: [d͡za̠bɯ̟ᵝtõ̞ɴ] ZAH-boo-tawn) is a cushion for sitting that is commonly used in traditional Japanese settings.[2] Zabuton is a Japanese loanword[3] that is also sometimes used in Western culture to describe the zaniku, a flat mat that a zafu is placed on.[1]
The zabuton is generally used while sitting in a seiza or agura position[4][5] and may also be used when sitting on a chair. Zabuton are used during meditation such as zazen.[6] In a more casual setting, the zabuton can be used in conjunction with a zaisu, a type of Japanese legless chair, with or without an accompanying kyōsoku (脇息), a Japanese-style armrest. Ordinarily, any place in Japan where seating is on the floor will be provided with zabuton for sitting comfort. The dimensions of a zabuton can vary, but are typically approximately 2 feet (0.61 m)[2] to 3 feet (0.91 m) square [7] and usually an inch or two thick.[8][9] They are sometimes made with threaded embroidery[10] and tassels on the four corners and at the center of the zabuton, and often with a removable outer cover that can be washed separately.[11]
Zabuton are typically packed with cotton for cushioning, with an outer cover made of fabric, usually also cotton. The outer cover is sometimes alternatively made of a variety of other materials such as silk, linen, leather, or washi.[12] Zabuton were commonly made using meisen until the 1960s when meisen production ceased.[13]
The zabuton originates from an earlier type of cushion called a shitone (Japanese: 褥), used in early Japan by the aristocratic class.[9] A shitone is roughly the same size and shape as a zabuton, but consists of layers of straw matting covered with cloth as opposed to the cotton-filled zabuton.[12]: 153 One traditional method of making a zabuton involves layered cotton stuffing laid on top of a square piece of fabric, folded in half with two sides stitched closed. The bundle is then rolled and then turned inside out so that the stuffing is inside the fabric, rather than stuffing the fabric into an opening in the cloth.[10]
Prior to the introduction of zabuton, enza (Japanese: 円座, lit. 'round seats') were commonly used as cushioning on wooden floors. These were circular, plaited grass cushions that were gradually replaced in everyday usage by the shitone and zabuton during the Edo period (1600–1868)[12] after cotton was introduced to Japan.[14]
