A Study On Back Cushion In The Northern Dynasties And Sui Dynasty And Tang Dynasty

The back cushion appeared in the Northern and Southern Dynasties at the earliest.According to literature and image,the back cushion is a kand of fabric that people rested on when they are sitting on the couch or carpet.The meaning of back cushion is a cushion that can be rested on,but in the literature before the Northern and Southern Dynasties,cushion only refer to bag.The word of back cushion was created in the Northern and Southern Dynasties.There were many pattern of back cushion in the Buddism statues in India at almost the same time.This back cushions are different with those in China,presumed that there were some changes in the propagation.Until now back cushion isn't discovered in the earth.As I said before,the word of back cushion doesn't exist before the Northern and Southern Dynasties,and the graphy of back cushion hasn't been found before the same time.So we could be sure that back cushion originate from India according to the feature of decoration.Yang Zhishui supposed that red pillow and back pillow are the same thing in the Buddhist scriptures,and conformed that red pillow is renamed for back cushion.However red pillow and back pillow are two kind of items,and back pillow should be more similar to back cushion.There were 19 graphy of back cushion that I gathered,and there were 15 domestic graphy and 4 graphy in overseas among them.The back cushion in the Northern Qi mural painting tomb of Shanxi province Shuozhou Shuiquanliang village was defined as togas in briefing,but I affirmed that it's back cushion after detailed observation.According to the lotus pattern of back cushion,it may be spreaded from India to China through Buddism.There are two routes:the silk road and sea-lane.There isn't enough evidence in the silk road because Soghdian who were active in the silk road have few relations to the spread of back cushion.But back cushion has been found in Borobudur relic in Java island BC 7-8 century,and the word of 'bansi' apeared on Bali island in literature,so I supposed that back cushion was spreaded through sea-lane.Because back cushion appeared in the north and south in China at the same time,according to the record of Monk biography,there was two spread routes:one is Guangzhou to Jiankang,the other is Guangzhou to Luoyang or Chang'an.Back cushion's form has few changes,but there is many kinds of decoration of cushion head,even though lotus pattern is varible.The stripe in cushion body is special,and its source is unknow,and there are some similar stripe in tomb of Xinjiang province at early time.Back cushion usually is used with couch or carpet,and there are some back cushions used with blanket in Anjia and Shijun tomb.Combine the line carving maid figure of stone chamber of Lishou tomb with the study of poetry of wangwei,we could know a part of nobles' life in early Tang Dynasty.Back cushion may play a important role in the change of composition of 'Seven sages' picture in the Southern Qi.Back cushion becomes a kind of prop that beautify the owner of grave in the paintings of tomb,so it may become item that symbolize celebrities like hossu.In the Figure of collate ancient books in the Northern Qi,the back cushion is a bag after studying.The implication of back cushion in figure of Vimalakirti is different from it in India,only standing for the fashion of celebrities.Back cushion still spread after Five Dynasty,and it was confused with pillow.In Ming Dynasty back cushion became the shape of pier,used until Qin Dynasty.