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History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c35.s2: Furniture (9th century A.D. to 1200 A.D.)

History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c35.s2

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English

Furniture (9th century A.D. to 1200 A.D.)

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The furniture of the period under review distinctly betrayed as we see in the following pages, the continuation of the many of the furniture articles of the preceding period which served as their prototypes. The furniture articles like thrones, seats, moras, the cane seats, foot-stools, bed-steads etc., continued to constitute the furniture articles of the period. One can see no change either in models or in the technique of their manufacture during this period. The types of thrones as usual included those having either animal legs or solid ones with or without arm-rests. The throne having lion as support and lion head terminals at top bar of the back of throne apparently represented Siṃhāsana. The Yuktikalpataru while listing out different types of furniture speaks of Siṃhāsana of eight different varieties in accordance with the nature of the animal supports. It also mentions of the wood, precious metals and stones that are to be used in the make of Siṃhāsana. It further states that this throne should be made of sandal wood (candana). The Chinese traveller Yuan Chwang also speaks of Siṃhāsanas. “The sovereign dias”, he observes “is exceedingly wide and high and is dotted with small pearls” what is called lion seat is covered with a fine cloth and mounted by a jewelled foot-stool. However, the lion motif appears to be one of the most ancient decorative symbols probably typifying the royal nature of the furniture of the early people. As regards the large thrones or sofas they continued to be in use throughout 9th-10th century A.D. also.

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The seats circular or rectangular with foot either plain or curved or with solid base were seen in use. The bed-steads did not show any remarkable change either in the construction or in its technique. The technique of turnery was adopted in their making.

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The period between 10th to 12th centuries A.D. even did not show any deviation in the models of the furniture articles or in the introduction of the new items of furniture articles. During this period as can be found in the Kākatīya and Hoyasālā periods, the furniture articles persisted to constitute the same Fig. 3. Furniture - Hoysāla period. 1,2,3,4,8 .. Thrones Fig. 4. Furniture - Hoysāla period 5,6,7,9,10,11 . Thrones variety of the preceding periods. The thrones, small and large, chairs with solid or animal legs, foot-stools circular or rectangular in shape, seats and bed-steads were among the furniture articles and remained as the items of the furniture of the affluent society while the commonality satisfied with sundry items like mats and mattresses etc. (Fig. 1-5)

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Fig. 1 Furniture - Ikṣvāku period (3rd-4th century A.D.) 1 to 5 Thrones. 6 to 8 Large thrones. 9 to 11 Chairs. 12 Wheeled chair. 13 to 18 Stools and Cane-seats. 19 to 21 Foot stools. 22 Bedstead

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Fig. 2. Furniture - Nolamba period. 1 Throne. 2 to 9 Benches. 10 to 13 Large thrones

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3

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4

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2

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1

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8

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5

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6

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9

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10

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11

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Fig. 5. Furniture - Hoysāla period 12 to 22 Thrones. 23 Arrow Bed. 24 to 26 Cane seats

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1. *Indian Culture*, Vol. II, No. 1, 67; Cf. *Rāmāyaṇa*, *Sundarakāṇḍa* IV, 41: In the *Suśruta*, the *Rājavallabha* and the *Bhāvaprakāśa*, we come across the use of *Śayyāsana* instead of *Śayanāsana* (*Indian Culture*, Vol. II, no. 1, 67; foot-note 2). The *Śayyāsana- Lakṣaṇādhyaya* (Ch. LXXVIII) of the *Bṛhat Saṃhitā* deals with furniture (A.M. Shastri, *India as seen in the Bṛhat Saṃhitā* of Varāhamihira, (Delhi, 1969), 250.

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2. *Mālavikāgni Mitra*, 73, 87, 104; *Parṇamañjusā*, *Tailamanjusā*, *Vāstramanjusā* are the three kinds known to the period.

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3. *Siṃha-mūdrita-manoharāsanam! Kesari Lancitam tvatha manoharāsanam Mānasāra*, XLV, 204, 206.

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4. *Mañca-Paryaṅka-PālyankaḥSanaḥ Palayaṇ-Komanca -Paryaṅka-Vṛṣi-Paryasti Kasuce iti mīḍini* (*Amarakośa*, 2, 3, 138).

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5. *Vaikhānasa Gṛhasūtra*, 1216; *Vinaya Text*, ii, 3, mīḍhi vin. text iii, 163 says that it is built against the outer wall of the house of hut made of hardened mud with two wooden legs in front. It is a bench used to sit or sleep on. In the *Ṛgveda* also the word *proṣṭha* to mean a bench has been mentioned. (VII. 5-8).

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