Stap

The Stap (禢) is a Themiclesian piece of upholstered furniture primarily used in the modern day as a bed. When used alone, the term stap refers only to the bed frame; the horizontal bedding is called ksreq (笫), while the hung upholstery is generally termed ghrul (帷). Staps are distinctive from most Casaterran beds in that they are designed to be easy to disassemble, since in Themiclesian culture the preferred sleeping location changes according to the season and with reference with architecture, and beds would be moved accordingly.

Structure

In terms of hard structure, it consists of a surface elevated by legs usually no more than 9 inches off the floor and panels or railings that surround that surface. It may additionally have posters and rafters to support a upholstered canopy over the surface, and the space between posters may additionally be filled by panels, making an enclosed Stap (篁禢, sqwang-stap); where the stap is enclosed, there is always a door to allow access and sometimes even windows to convenience communication without opening the door. The door may be lockable from the inside and may consist of a single or double panel door.

The usable surface of the stap is usually of a hard material, such as wood, so in the interest of comfort bedding is widely used, though anciently it seems the poor had to contend with a hard surface, if they possessed a bed at all. The usual layering is in this order:

• Rug
• Multiple layers of woven mattresses
• Stuffed mattress
• Quilt

Rug

The purpose of the rug is twofold—to stop the woven mattresses, usually made of a coarse vegetable fibre material, from scratching the hard surface of the bed, which would produce disagreeable crackling noises when the sleeper shifts on the bed; it also prevents the woven mattresses from shifting out of place during the night. The rug itself is usually fixed to the bed by means of heavy weights or stakes driven through its four corners and into the bed surface; a felted hammer is used fit the stake into the bed surface and also to dislodge the stake from the underside when the rug is to be removed. The stake is in a conical shape with a rounded tip and often a head surfaced with padding.

The rug can be considered a fixture to the bed in the sense that it is not removed as a daily routine.

Woven mattresses

The woven mattresses primarily provide cushioning for the sleeper. Each mattress is made of two or more sheets of mats woven with a tight weave, and the sheets are then stitched together with strong fibres, leaving one sheet slightly longer than the other between seams. The sheet that is longer will therefore buckle slightly to meet the shorter sheet, creating what resembles corrugations. On its own, a single mattress provides limited flexibility and can appear hard, but with multiple mattresses overlaying each other and by varying the weaving technique used in the mats, a gentle cushion is achieved.

In use, the corrugations would normally be aligned at right angles in successive layers. The ideal result, when piled up, is a bedding that is cushioned but not formless. The number of mattresses depends on personal preference, but six layers is common in modern usage and a luxurious appointment in former times. In royal palaces, the number of mattresses used was a status-symbol and regulated by sumptuary legislation, the sovereign given nine mattresses and lesser individuals fewer according to their rank.

The woven mattress can be made form strips of aromatic wood, but this takes considerable effort and is more expensive than one made from ordinary plant fibres.

Topper

While a pile of mattresses will provide adequate springiness against the sleeper's full weight, its top surface is still hard to the touch. In the 15th century, a device resembling a modern topper was introduced, and allegedly the earliest filling consisted of abandoned brushes removed from their pens. The topper smooths out the corrugations and firmness of the top woven mattress. Traditional materials for stuffing included shredded and knotted rags to silkworm coccoons rejected at silk mills for discolouration or other defects. If aromatics are used in the topper, they would be sewn into small pouches and then stitched to the tick rather than be interspersed with the stuffing, since they would be liable to accumulate locally that way.

The casing of the topper is made from a very densely woven textile.

Quilt

The quilt is the topmost layer of bedding and the one that meets the sleeper. The orientation towards comfort and visibility has caused it to become the most panache-laden piece of bedding. Silk in multiple layers is commonly used since the middle of the 19th-century for a warm and breathable surface.

Panelling and upholstery

The cold and arid climate of Themiclesia has given rise to a bed design meant to trap the sleeper's body heat and moisture by isolating the bed from the wider environment. Generally, this was done with wooden panelling between the posters of the bed, forming a box-bed, though in the warmer south the panels may be removable for summer use. To permit ingress and egress, a door is located on one side of the bed, and the side of the door is considered the "front" of the bed in Themiclesian custom. The door may be lockable from the inside, though modern legislation prohibits locks that cannot be opened reasonably easily from the outside, such being a clear hazard in case the sleeper becomes unconscious and cannot unlock their own bed.

Other than a door that permits ingress and egress, many beds are outfitted with sliding windows, which would allow the sleeper to see outside without opening the bed door. In a cold climate, a small opening was useful to prevent warmth escaping through the larger door.

Prior to the advent of fully-panelled beds, wealthy Themiclesians often used a large canopy over their open beds. This achieves the same purpose but was more demanding on fabrics, which would need to reach and drape onto the floor to provide good heat retention. Moreover, a single layer of fabric is insufficient, and pleating, layering, or both was needed. Nevertheless, the use of a canopy over a bed with panelling is still continued as a statement of luxury and decoration. The canopy may not always be simply thrown over the bed in this case but over a taller frame to give the appearance of a hip roof, the customary shape of such drapery.

In any case, the inside of the box-bed is usually upholstered as well, with canvas as a basic option to provide cushioning and sound dampening.

Day and night use

The traditional Themiclesian habit is to fold the softer layers and roll up the corrugated mattresses, because traditionally, the stap was not merely a bed for nighttime use but also a chair for day use. The bedding would be removed to reveal the fixed rug, on which a day-mattress would be placed; the user may sit on this mattress facing outwards, using a mobile desk placed flush against the edge of the bed or use a mini-desk stood up on the bed itself. Back support would be provided by cushions or the stap's railings. If the stap is an enclosed one, the drapery would be drawn up and windows opened, to allow odours and moisture to escape. The rolled mattresses would be stood up in a corner in the room, and the soft bedding piled on top of them. Much literature attests to the idea that a person is sure to be up and about if their mattresses are rolled up in a visible place.

Currently, this is not always done if the stap is not going to be used as a daytime chair.

This usage model was common at least from the time of the Meng restoration of the 6th century, where a twofold distinction existed between private and public spaces in the home; whenever not entertaining guests, a person would retreat into private quarters, where the stap was often the main piece of furniture, and the user could spend the entire day on it. Miniature trays and tables made it possible to eat and read in the stap easily, and lampholders were installed to provide illumination at hand. In the 17th century, starting with the upper classes, it became more common to make a threefold distinction between sleeping, private living, and public quarters in houses large enough to have these.

Maintenance

The rug and woven mattresses are usually taken out, any coverings removed, and exposed to the frigid and arid Themiclesian winter to sterilize pests. As nightly temperatures could descend to −20 °C (−36 °F) and relative humidity 10%, few organisms survive such conditions. After exposure, the items would be beaten over smouldering embers to drive out any "outside smell" that the bedding may have acquired during exposure; there should be no open flame in this step to prevent the bedding from catching fire.

Unlike a futon, stap mattresses should not be taken out and beaten with a carpet beater. As the mattress is woven, beating it would loosen the weaving and cause the corrugations to lose their elasticity prematurely and therefore reduce its useful life. If it must be beaten to dislodge dust or other refuse, it should be rolled up and beaten against another rolled up mattress instead; then, it should be unrolled and gently tapped.

Cultural history

Elevated platforms for sitting were amongst the things Meng people brought with them to Themiclesia in Antiquity. Variations of them evolved into benches for sitting as well as larger platforms for sleeping, though the basic design remained similar for many centuries. As the bed became more specialized for resting and increasingly elaborate, it became a symbol of dominance as it would not have been possible to provide a bed for every visitor; the one who sat on the bed, therefore, had the place of honour, while others had to contend with simpler and removeable platforms.

Beds of this kind, used as a statement of political dominance, evolved into the Themiclesian style of throne, reserved for the monarch while holding court; his courtiers, i.e. his guests, used smaller platforms or sat on the ground, according to their rank. Gentlemen of the court were not permitted into the royal presence chamber and sat or stood in the antechamber as well as the arcades surrounding the chamber. Members of the Royal Guard would stand beneath the steps leading up to the building and thus on a lower physical pane. It was considered symbolically correct all the individuals with lordship over the land, large and small, be situated on the same physical pane.

See also

• Themiclesia