A bamboo wife is a bolster (pillow) made from a woven

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of mostly evergreen perennial plant, perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily (biology), subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family, in th ...

cylinder that may be as large as the size of the human body. It goes by names such as ( zh, c=竹夫人, p=zhúfūrén, cy=jūkfūyàhn;

Vietnamese Vietnamese may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Vietnam, a country in Southeast Asia * Vietnamese people, or Kinh people, a Southeast Asian ethnic group native to Vietnam ** Overseas Vietnamese, Vietnamese people living outside Vietna ...

: ''trúc phu nhân''; ; ), also known as a Dutch wife, in Tagalog as ''kawil'' (fish hook or chain); in Burmese as ဖက်လုံး (''hpaat lone'') and in Indonesian as ''guling''. Bamboo wives are typically hand-woven from thinly-cut bamboo

cane Cane or caning may refer to: *Walking stick, or walking cane, a device used primarily to aid walking * Assistive cane, a walking stick used as a mobility aid for better balance * White cane, a mobility or safety device used by blind or visually i ...

Etymology

Mandarin Chinese

Besides the term "Bamboo wife" (竹夫人, ''zhúfūrén'') these pillows are known in

Mandarin Chinese Mandarin ( ; zh, s=, t=, p=Guānhuà, l=Mandarin (bureaucrat), officials' speech) is the largest branch of the Sinitic languages. Mandarin varieties are spoken by 70 percent of all Chinese speakers over a large geographical area that stretch ...

under a variety of names, namely ''Zhú jiā xī'' (竹夹膝), ''zhú jī'' (竹姬), ''qīng nú'' (青奴), ''zhú nú'' (竹奴), and ''zhú fēi'' (竹妃).

Shape and size

Bamboo wives come in a variety of sizes. They are typically similar in shape to orthopedic body pillows, and can be curved or a long, cylindrical shape.

Usage

In the summer heat, the open bamboo structure is cooler to the touch than fabric pillows or sheets. A user embraces the Dutch wife as they would hold a sleeping companion, with the goal of exposing the body to a greater flow of air. The device may also alleviate lower back pain when placed between the knees during sleep.

History

Bamboo wives and their variants in other countries originated East Asia and Southeast Asia. They were designed to cool the body in times of high temperature and humidity. They can also be made of cotton or other

synthetic fiber Synthetic fibers or synthetic fibres (in British English; see spelling differences) are fibers made by humans through chemical synthesis, as opposed to natural fibers that are directly derived from living organisms, such as plants like cott ...

s. Dutch wives made of cotton or other synthetic fiber are widely used in

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. Bamboo wives have decreased in popularity, possibly due to the prevalence of

air conditioning Air conditioning, often abbreviated as A/C (US) or air con (UK), is the process of removing heat from an enclosed space to achieve a more comfortable interior temperature, and in some cases, also controlling the humidity of internal air. Air c ...

, especially in urban areas. Another reason for the decline may be poor quality. They remain popular in

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

, but are outweighed by indoor cooling and bolsters made from synthetic materials. As of 2019, bamboo wives were not typically sold at corner stores, tourist shops, or night markets in Japan, Korea or the Philippines. They are mostly found in non-English

online shop Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce which allows consumers to directly buy goods or services from a seller over the Internet using a web browser or a mobile app. Consumers find a product of interest by visiting the website of the ...

Japan

In Japan, full-body pillows (''

dakimakura A ''dakimakura'' (; from ''daki'' "embrace" and ''makura'' "pillow") is a type of large pillow from Japan which is usually coupled with pillow covers depicting manga and anime characters. The word is often translated to English as body pillow, ...

'') are sometimes referred to as ''chikufujin'' (竹夫人 "bamboo wife") even though their function is about physical and psychological comfort rather than heat abatement.

Korea

The first mention of the ''jukbuin'' in

dates to the 13th century during the late

Goryeo Goryeo (; ) was a Korean state founded in 918, during a time of national division called the Later Three Kingdoms period, that unified and ruled the Korea, Korean Peninsula until the establishment of Joseon in 1392. Goryeo achieved what has b ...

period. ''Jukbuin'' were typically held when sleeping on the wooden floors of a

Hanok A (; name in South Korea) or ''chosŏnjip'' (; name in North Korea and for Koreans in Yanbian, China), is a traditional Korean house. were first designed and built in the 14th century during the Joseon dynasty. Korean architecture conside ...

as beds were not commonly used. Generally speaking, family members did not each have a personal ''jukbuin''. However, a son would never use his father's ''jukbuin'' in order to show him respect. Every year the Damyang Bamboo Festival is held in

Damyang County Damyang County (''Damyang-gun'') is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, county in South Jeolla Province, South Korea. Tourism in South Korea, Tourism is a major local industry. Notable local products include bamboo goods and strawberries. ...

South Jeolla Province South Jeolla Province (), formerly South Chŏlla Province, also known as Jeonnam (), is a province in the Honam, Honam region, South Korea, and the Provinces of Korea, southernmost province in mainland Korea. South Jeolla borders the provinces of ...

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, with the Yellow Sea to the west and t ...

which showcases local products made from bamboo, including an array of ''jukbuin.'' ''Jukbuin'' for infants arrived after the adult versions. Other ''jukbuin'' variations include an electric fan.

Culture

Films

Because ''chikufujin'' are hand-woven from cheap materials, they are sometimes used in media to connote the poverty of their creators. In the Japanese film '' Lady Snowblood'', a supporting character (Kobue) pretends to make her living by weaving ''chikufujin'' to conceal her profession as a prostitute from her father.

Riddles

Certain Chinese numismatic charms reference bamboo wives in the form of a riddle that reads, "Empty eye without eyeball. The couple live together without love. In autumn the wife leaves. When the lotus blooms again she returns," the answer to which is the bamboo wife.Hartill, David (August 13, 2020) ''Cast Chinese Amulets''.

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

: New Generation Publishing. . Page 221.

Notes

References

{{Bedding

Wife A wife (: wives) is a woman in a marital relationship. A woman who has separated from her partner continues to be a wife until their marriage is legally dissolved with a divorce judgment; or until death, depending on the kind of marriage. On t ...

Furniture Pillows