Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-07-09
THE ORIGIN OF BEDS
SLEEPING CoUcHEs CAN BE TRACED
BACK TO 700 9. c.


Cottn and Mnrblc-Dcd Furnishings
The oldest bed In existence Is n
bronze Of Etruscan manufacture dat
ing from the seventh century Is. G..
This was found IN excavations mado
Mt Gordon. In Asia Minor and from
the fact that II is the only one of its
ngc ever mcarthcd among the many
other pieces of furniture found in an
cicnt ruins the conclusion is drawn
that beds at this early era were Il nov
city.
Ii Is sure that previous to tls there
is no record of tho existence OF beds
which may be taken as authority. Pre-
historic man evidently got ulong quite
well without any bed TO liz In. and it
was not until the life Of Etrurians and
Greeks began To verge into compare
tive syharitc luxury that tho bed as Il
component part of the household was
universally recognized.
Even then the bed was moro kin to
the modern couch than the article In
which civilized man today takes his re-
pose. According 10 Greek and Roman
wall paintings, bas-rclirfs AMI repro
auctions in sculpture. tho original bed
was Il bench, often Il beautifully cary
ed and decorated bench and one cover
ed with costly drapcrics. hut still In
form IL bench compared to the beds Of
today. Many Of them were made of
terra Gotta. some Of marble, AMI then
there Is the bronze specimen which Is
still in use.
Etruscan wall paintings of the nth
and sixth centuries i. C.. show that
these couchcs We're plentiful then. The
Etrurlnns huildctl well when they came
to make beds. for most Of the pictures
show them rs made Of stone, terra cot
tn nnd marble being favoritc materials
In shape Hicy were narrow. set OIL legs.
much like tho couch of today, AMI piled
high with cushions. There were two
kinds of beds or couchcs In this peri
cd, one for reclining upon at mcaltimc
and the other for sleeping. In some In
stances the same couch was used for
both purposes.
With the early Greeks and Romans
the bed played more prominent part
In the life Of the people thnn It does to-
day. Paintings from these times show
the bed or couch prominent factor mt
oil mcnltimcs and bnnqucting scenes,
the persons participating reclining
Willie they dincd or carried on n con
vcrsntlon. Early scenes where the char
nctcrs concerned are wholly mythO-
logical show them meeting DEATH de-
llvcring speeches or rcposing idly, all
on co,,chcs Of n nearly similar design
The sleeping couch rarely occurs In this
early sculpture or painting.
In form the bed of this era was based
on principles much akin to those upon
which our beds are now made. There
are the body, legs aud hcndpiccc, all
made much as they arc made today.
At first, SO far MS can he found, the
body was only slab OF marble laid
across two upright stones serving rs
legs. Later however, there come TO
view leg for each corner AMI head
piece. Tho hest examples of modern
beds show the skill of the ancicnts in
sculpture and painting anu the mpor-
lance with which they regarded the he'd.
The legs are often notable examples OF
The cnrvcrs art and The sides serve rs
panels whcrcon the artist OF the day
depicted the life Of the period.
Other Greek touches have legs made
of blocks Of wood mOriiScd together.
Later the entire bed was made OF
wool. Many OF these specimens were
Of the cOstlicst manufacture. the wood
being iniaid with ivory and other mr.
nT ~
n means OF decorating couchcs seems
to have been introduced about 100 y. G.
Later silver ana gold were occasionally
used.
In furnishings tho anclcnts pursued
about the same system MS Is in vogue
Mt present. Mattresses. pillows, val
RN1ces and loose drnpcrics are shown In
the early vase paintings. All comchcs
haN mattresses. but the thickness, 1unl-
tty Nld kind varied with the different
perlot's At first only few skins
thrown 'avcr the body OF the bed were
's The p,,oSs were OF various shapes,
some being Tong and narrow, others
approximately .Squnrc and still others
nearly round IN appearance. Tho
Greek or Roman OF this period was
a most luxurious parsonage. M he re-
qulred Mt least three pillows to ennble
him TO secure Il good nights rest.
There was one for his head. one for his
elbow and one for his feet.
The mattresses and pillows were COW
Fred with linen or wool. Lea tier to
tome extent was used ms n CO.. bring
Tor the pillows. Rare instances arc
found where silk was employed as Ii ii
towering.
A great variety Of materials was
used in stufIine both articles. The
commoncst article among the Greeks