The other day I wandered into a google discussion about the history of pillows. It appears the original purpose of pillows wasn’t so much about comfort but keeping bugs out of your mouth.
The earliest known pillows date back over 9,000 years ago to Mesopotamia, or modern day Iraq. They were carved of stone in a half-moon shape to support the neck- their basic function was to keep the head off the ground and prevent insects from crawling into your mouth, nose and ears. I like the idea but for me it falls a little short.
The Egyptians made their pillows out of wood, similar in shape, and reserved for the wealthy. The Chinese crafted ornate, decorative pillows from hard materials like porcelain, bronze, and jade. It’s thought that they could have fabricated soft pillows but believed that softness steals energy and vitality from the body during sleep. As a result soft pillows would have been ineffective in keeping demons at bay. Bummer.
Fast forward to ancient Greece and Rome where pillows were filled with feathers or straw- certainly closer in theory to today’s version. Pillows finally came into vogue with the industrial revolution. (Yea!) Technological improvements with the mass production of textiles brought pillows within reach of every man and woman. Sometime in the 1900’s pillows became the choice weapon for bad little boys and girls at camps and sleepovers.
I’m a modern girl, partial to comfort and taking it where I can get it. It’s my pet peeve that people aren’t as particular about decorative pillows as they are about bed pillows. Maybe that’s because you’re more often to wind up face down in bed than on a couch. I personally take exception to couch pillows you can’t wash. Who wants to put her head down on a pillow that hasn’t been cleaned in five years? Be honest, when was the last time YOUR decorative pillows were washed? Most of them aren’t made to be cleaned EVER.
I’m thrilled to announce that decorative pillows have finally evolved. Paola pillow covers are gorgeous AND completely washable and dry cleanable. We scoured the country for clean, quality feather and down inserts manufactured in the U.S. The insert covers are a 200-thread count of 100% cotton white ticking. Both the pillows and their covers are printed in the Carolinas. The cover will wear like iron but look and feel like the 100% cotton sateen it is.
Paola Pillows are made for up close and personal. Be sure to sign up for our blog so we can keep you up to date when our pillows are ready to land on your couch. In the meantime, Dream a Little Dream with Ella and Louis.
And…Happy Halloween!
Do you know why pillows in the late 1800s and early 1900s thru to the 1960s were black and white striped? I noticed on reruns of The Virginian they had pillows like me when I was a kid (early 1960s). Just wondered.