The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-03-05
ORIENTAL BED CLOTHING.
HOW JAPs AND oH1NAMEM SLEEP
IN THEIR NATIVE LAND.
Cinnamon of Wealth Buy Costly
Beds and Bedding-$0OOO Not an
Unusual Price To Paw for. n Red

Cinnamon of Wealth BUY Costly
Beds and Bedding-$5O0O Not an
Unusual Price to Pay for a Bed.
In the land of the Orient, says Wong
Chm Foo in the New York Sun, the
tastes of the people as regards sleeping
accommodations are rs widely different
from the English and Americans as their
daily life. In Japan the only bedding is
made in the shape of huge gown or
overcoat with sleeves, and each sleeve
accommodates sleeper, who crawls into
the aperture very much as a kitten would.
Like their cousins, the Chinese, the Japs
use no sheets, unless the Innings of the
'night overcoats' can be looked upon as
sheets.
Their pillows are miniature bureaus,
made out of either rattan or polished
wood, filled with drawers to hold their
jewellery and other valuables while they
themselves are asleep.
There are no bedsteads in Japan. The
same spotless floor that answers for table,
chairs and dancing stage is utilized for
sleeping purposes.
In China there are bedsteads, and
with the bed clothing form the most
ornamental portion of the household
furniture. 1t is as the piano and pillow
shams of a well-regulated American
house. 1t is a common thing for o
Chinese gentleman to spend $4,000 OF
even $1,000 cash for a beautifully
carved and jeweled bedstead aud $1,000
or more for simple embroideries on the
edges and corners of his favorite quilt.
These latter are very numerous and va
ried among those who are able to enjoy
such luxuries. None of these coverlets
are less than ''three-ply" affairs; in
deed, such is the superstition among the
almond-eyed aristocracy that not one Of
them could be hired to sleep under a
coverlet that is composed of only one
or two thicknesses. The former indi.
Gates Ito their mind) extreme poverty,
while two is considered an even or un.
lucky number. Therefore all the Chinese
bed clothes are either padded or a thin
sheet of paper is put in the centre. Most
all the quilts or bed clothes of the rich
are made of silks or satins with highly
colored embroidery work on the exterior
and lined with strong white silk or fine
linen and are only washed about once a
year. AS in Japan, no sheet is used.
The Chinese bed making in the morn
ings consists of folding up every article
of bed clothes in long folds, in such a
manner as to expose all the beautiful
needle work, and then they are carefully
piled one on top of the other upon a neat
shelf built against the wall inside of the
artistically hung bed curtains. Then the
latter is carefully drawn apart to expose
the rich rugs and opium layout upon the
bed and the folded bed clothes upon the
shelves.
The poorer class of the Chinese have
only one 'pe," or padded quilt, thick
enough to keep them warm the coolest
nights of winter, while in summer, like
the rich, they use nothing save their own
undergarments. In other words, it is
either a feast or famine as far as sleep
ing comforts are concerned. Unlike the
rich, the poorer classes of Cinnamon take
off the Innings of their "pes" about twice
year for cleansing purposes.
If bed in first-class American hotel
were given to Chinese gentleman he
would probably sit up all night waiting
for place to lie down.