Chikufujin
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A Chikufujin (竹夫人?), Jukbuin (죽부인, 竹夫人) or Zhufuren (竹夫人), literally "bamboo wife", is the East Asian version of a Dutch wife, a hollow bamboo form roughly the size of a human body.
The origin of the English term "Dutch wife" is thought to be from the Dutch colony of Indonesia where Dutch traders would spend long periods away from their wives.
Chikufujin are hand-woven from bamboo cane.
[edit] Usage
In the summer heat, the open bamboo structure is cooler to the touch than fabric pillows or sheets. The Dutch wife is embraced by the user, as one would a sleeping companion—this position exposes the maximum amount of the body to cooling breezes.
[edit] Adoption
Chikufujin and their variants in other countries have their origin and use in East Asia and Southeast Asia, tropical countries with hot, humid seasons.
They are now less popular to the point of extinction, possibly due to the prevalence of air conditioning.
[edit] Chikufujin in culture
Because chikufujin are hand-woven from cheap materials, they are an item used to connote the poverty of the manufacturer. In the Japanese film Lady Snowblood, Kobue, a supporting character, makes her living by weaving chikufujin.
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