Unraveling the mystery: Ancient wooden pillow from Thailand stirs online buzz

The Facebook page Here at 8 Strips sparked a wave of intrigue online after posting an image of an antique wooden object, a common household item in days gone by, but unfamiliar to the current generation.

The post rapidly went viral, attracting a flood of guesswork comments from netizens, suggesting it could be anything from a water pot base, book rest, folding chair to a coconut scraper. However, the correct answer was revealed as an ancient wooden pillow, used as a headrest by the older generation in the past.

The object in question is a wooden pillow, used traditionally by older people for resting during religious observances. According to information provided by the Central Cultural Data Centre, the wooden pillow was a domestic object used to support the elderly during long periods of religious observance, particularly during Buddhist Lent, when devotees would spend the day reciting prayers.

The belief held by villagers was that while observing religious practices at the temple, all forms of comfort should be abandoned, including soft pillows for resting. Therefore, wooden pillows were used as a resting aid during the day-long religious observance, reported Sanook.

These wooden pillows were made from hard types of wood such as Afzelia xylocarpa, Gluta usitata, Dipterocarpus tuberculatus, or teak. When in use, the wooden slab was placed against another to form a shape like a coin. When not in use, the pillow could be folded flat for easy storage.

Elders would use a sabai or white horse cloth to pad the wooden pillow before resting to ensure comfort and avoid injury. Aside from being used as a headrest, it could also serve as a book stand.

In related news, an ancient book, over 300 years old, one of only two known copies in the world, has been unveiled at a famous temple in Rayong. The treasure, which was collected by a local governor before it could be sold, is priceless. Read more about this story HERE.