Keywords
Art History
Sculpture
Armrest. The word was used in the Nara period, but amended to kyōsoku 脇息 in the mid-Heian period. Shapes are straight or curved, with two legs, about 90 cm in length, 12 cm in width, and 27 cm in height. Made of wood with gold-powdered lacquer *maki-e 蒔絵 and mother-of-pearl inlay *raden 螺鈿 decoration, sometimes a cushion is added. For upper-class samurai 侍 furnishings kyōshoku were always padded with cotton. The box variety yorikakari 寄懸 includes a cotton pad and velvet finish, with side drawers.