How aristocrats slept in the 18th century: a wardrobe instead of a bed, a pillow casket and other oddities

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Today many people talk about healthy sleep. Special anatomical mattresses and pillows are produced, you can buy any bedding and sleepwear. And earlier, in the 18th century, it was much more difficult for people. In particular, the courtiers had to follow the fashion trends that developed in society. Read in the material what strange devices were used for sleeping, why Peter the Great slept in a closet, and the ladies put a strange metal structure on their heads.

I put my head on the chest

In the homes of people of all classes, one could see a chest. It was used to store wealth, and was also often used as a sleeping place. At the same time, the good was protected from night thieves. What about the pillow? Surprisingly, small chests were perfect for this item. Since the 19th century, such items were taken on a trip, and very often they were put in bed instead of a pillow. There is an exhibit in the Hermitage, which is called that - a casket for sleeping.

Why did the aristocrats need a hard casket during a night's rest? The fact is that in this case, the woman could not worry about the curls, which will be crumpled on a soft pillow. Perhaps this option was borrowed in the East, because in Japan, until the beginning of the 20th century, wooden kimakura pillows were used, and in China, stone or porcelain bars were placed under the head.

As the ladies slept in armchairs, and propped up their necks with a stand

In the 18th century, wigs were very fashionable in Russia. But they were gradually replaced by high hairstyles. In order not to destroy the masterpieces of hairdressing during a night's sleep, women of fashion began to look for various ways. An impressive pile was built on the heads of the aristocrats, to which were added a variety of elements, from feathers and flowers to artificial birds. Ladies could not afford a full-fledged sweet dream on a soft feather bed and a cozy pillow. Protecting their hair, they dozed, sitting in an armchair or snoozing on the couch. And since the hairstyle was heavy enough, measures had to be taken. Otherwise, you could wrinkle it, or drop your head on your chest, which could negatively affect the condition of the spine. To avoid such problems, women used a special stand, which was placed under the base of the neck. Yes, it was hardly convenient, but what can you do - beauty requires sacrifice!

Custom-made sleep rollers: who is richer?

Sometimes, instead of caskets-pillows, special wooden rollers were used. They should have been placed under the neck in such a way that the hairstyle did not touch the bed, and remained suspended. Such devices were made to order. There were craftsmen who dealt only with these products. For greater comfort, the wooden "pillow" was upholstered in velvet fabric. But this was not enough. After all, I wanted to show off to my friends with a roller. Pearls and precious stones were used to decorate the cushions. It was a real work of art! By the way, today wood cushions are popular again and are in demand among people adhering to a healthy lifestyle. If you visit the house of Peter the Great in St. Petersburg, on Petrovskaya embankment, then in the king's bed you can see an old roller for sleeping. Its diameter is about 30 centimeters, and the design is striking in its simplicity.

Why did Peter I sleep in the closet, and the ladies put on a metal cap for the night

When Peter I returned from Holland, he was full of various modern ideas for that time. For example, sleeping in the closet. It seems, what is such a strange way of sleeping at night for? The fact is that the Dutch slept in closets to protect themselves from the invasion of disgusting rats. Such a strange method of protection did not receive a response in Russia. But Peter was not going to make it obligatory. However, some courtiers still took advantage of sleeping in a piece of furniture. True, most often this was done in order not to ruin the hairstyle. It's cramped in the closet, you can't really fall apart, you can't put your head down. So it turns out that the structures on the head remained intact. True, this method was used mainly by ladies. Men had problems with hairstyles.

As for women, they followed the fashion of the late 18th century. A high hairstyle, which was considered the more fashionable, the higher it was, as well as a large number of ostrich feathers and jewelry, required a careful attitude. Why are there jewels. On the heads of the ladies one could see fresh fruits, nests and cages with birds, fresh flowers. To prevent the plants from withering, they were not only woven into the hair, but also placed in special vessels filled with water. It was not so cheap to create such a masterpiece on the head. Naturally, these were not daily options, but more often festive ones. But women wanted to keep them longer. Therefore, they used flour, which replaced modern styling products. The hairstyle looked luxurious, but its edible component, namely flour, was of great interest to the rodents. Sometimes mice crawled into the hair of a lady who was dozing. And what does a woman feel when nasty creatures run on her head? Of course, there were tantrums and fainting. Therefore, a special device called a wagon was invented. It was a special wire-frame cap, capable of not only preserving a haircut, but also preventing mice from climbing into it.

Not all women could sleep in the "kibitka". If insomnia became unbearable, then the frame was changed to a special collar. His task was to keep his head suspended, but not only. Rodent bait was put into the collar. The mice could eat from the heart, and then, after eating, they left the lady who woke up in a good mood, and the grandiose hairstyle (which could depict a scene on a hunt or be made in the form of a ship) remained intact.

For various reasons, the wives of aristocrats could fall into disgrace. And then they were placed in special prison-chambers, where their fate was broken.