As we all know, before chairs appeared in the Tang Dynasty, kneeling and sitting was a common sitting posture for the Chinese people for a long time. But does it really not get tiring if you kneel and sit for a long time? Actually, to be honest, it wasn’t really tiring. Ancient people just lived in an earlier era, and they didn’t endure hardships for no reason. They invented a small magical item that could relieve the pressure of kneeling and sitting. Now, let’s do some popular science about it.

Ⅰ. The Small Magical Item for Kneeling and Sitting – Zhi Zhong (a heel support)

Kneeling and sitting (跪坐) is also called proper sitting (正坐). The sitting posture is to place the buttocks on the ankles, keep the upper body straight, and put the hands on the knees. Ancient people mostly adopted the posture of “sit straight solemnly (正襟危坐)”, and idioms such as “sitting properly with one’s lapel in order (促膝长谈)” and “having an intimate conversation knee to knee” all originated from this. Ancient people also believed that proper sitting could effectively regulate qi and blood and make them flow smoothly. Hu Wenhuan (胡文焕), a literary figure in the Ming Dynasty, recorded the specific method of kneeling and sitting in detail in “The Method of Health Preservation and Guided Exercises (《养生方导引法》)”: “For those who want to learn how to rest and recuperate, they must first sit properly, with their knees and feet together. When first sitting, the toes should be opposite each other first, and the heels should be spread outward. When sitting, try to be stable. The two heels should be opposite each other inward.”

It is worth mentioning that the ancient sages “invented” a clever aid for kneeling and sitting – Zhi Zhong (支踵). It is a wooden utensil shaped like the letter “T”, and many of them have been unearthed from the Han Dynasty. The overall height is designed to be approximately 10 to 15 centimeters. After the Qin and Han dynasties, during the Wei and Jin dynasties, the Hu bed (胡床, a kind of folding chair) was introduced. In the Tang and Song dynasties, chairs were developed, and people’s sitting postures gradually changed. However, Zhi Zhong was still in use during the Song and Ming dynasties.

The Chinese character “Zhong” in “Zhi Zhong” means the heel of the foot. “Zhi Zhong” literally means to support the heel. It is very simple to use. It has a thin pillar that can be clamped between the two calves, and there is also a panel on the pillar that can support the thighs and the buttocks. In simple terms, it is a very small seat, even smaller than a bicycle seat, but it can play a significant supporting role.

It is worth noting that many people may think that this sitting posture is Japanese. In fact, this is because Japan learned some customs from China’s Tang Dynasty. Before the Song Dynasty, we Chinese people all sat in the proper sitting posture. It was only during the Song Dynasty that chairs gradually came into use. This sitting posture was actually phased out in China, but it has been continuously practiced in Japan. That’s why many people have such doubts. Proper sitting is a cultivation of one’s own mind and character, aiming to seek the harmonious unity between the mind and the body.

Let’s take a look at the demonstration by the bloggers 周渝&望辽东 in the following picture. According to the record in “The Analects of Confucius · Xianwen (《论语・宪问》)”, Yuan Rang (原壤) sat with his legs spread apart while waiting for Confucius. This kind of sitting posture was considered to be a behavior that did not conform to the etiquette and lacked proper sitting manners at that time. Confucius thus criticized him. That is exactly the demonstration shown on the left side of the picture.

If one doesn’t sit properly, the posture shown on the left side of the above picture is called “Ji Ju (箕踞)”. In this posture, the feet are spread apart and the knees are slightly bent, and the shape is like a winnowing basket. It is an informal and arrogant sitting posture, also a gesture of despising and looking down upon the other person. So the correct way is to use the proper sitting artifact, Zhi Zhong, to let it support the buttocks and relieve the pressure between the two legs.

In the inventory records unearthed from Han Tomb No. 168 in Fenghuang (凤凰山) Mountain, Jiangling (江陵), the name of this kind of utensil similar to a “butt cushion” was recorded as “Zhi Zhong” (later scholars speculated that “Zhong” might be a miswriting or an alternative form of “踵” and “支” might be a miswriting or an alternative form of “大”). Although there are unearthed cultural relics, there are very few written records. Even now, what it was used for is still a matter of speculation.

Ⅱ. Speculations about Its Uses

Among them, the theory that it is a “sitting utensil” is the most widely accepted. Scholars speculate that ①: when sitting in the kneeling posture, people only need to skillfully place the Zhi Zhong between their feet and buttocks. This simple design not only maintains the traditional posture of sitting properly with the lapel in order but also cleverly avoids the problem of the calves and heels being heavily pressed by the buttocks. More importantly, it greatly relieves the pressure on the knees, promotes the smooth flow of the meridians and blood circulation, and significantly alleviates the fatigue caused by sitting for a long time.

When it was unearthed, scholars also speculated that ②: it might be used as a small table board by being clamped between the two knees. Mr. Ma Yi (马怡) said, “I suspect that the base of this utensil should be placed between a person’s two knees, and the panel is in front of the body, which can be leaned on.” However, considering that its height is mostly around 15 centimeters at most, if it is used as a small table board, it seems too short. Moreover, a single leg is not stable, and the curved sides are not suitable for placing too many things. Later, considering that its arc shape matches the curve of the buttocks, it is not used for placing items. Therefore, the current speculation leans towards the idea that it is a kind of sitting utensil.

However, judging from the various sitting figurines of the Han Dynasty that we have seen so far, there is no trace of the use of this kind of utensil. Moreover, this sitting utensil is obviously rigid and not very suitable for people who sit in the kneeling posture for a long time. It is not easy to adjust the sitting posture while sitting on it, and sitting in the kneeling posture on this kind of sitting utensil for a long time will also cause the legs to go numb. Therefore, experts speculate that:

① It might be a supporting utensil used only by special groups of people. For example, the elderly or those with limited mobility in their limbs, or people who are just learning the sitting posture and need to maintain the sitting posture in some ceremonial occasions, so they need this kind of assistance. That’s why this kind of information may not have been recorded.

② It could be an item used by people of noble status to demonstrate their status and their refined lifestyle. (However, items used by people of noble status are likely to set off a trend of imitation and are also likely to be recorded. Since there are almost no records in later generations, this possibility can be largely ruled out.)

Summary

However, in any case, the function of being a food container is the most likely option to be excluded. After all, there are strict records of ritual food containers, and as a daily household item, this kind of utensil seems not very practical and is prone to tipping over. Interestingly, after this kind of utensil was adopted by Japan, some netizens said that it looks very much like a container for displaying sushi, which is really surprising. But as to what its actual function is, we still don’t know. Everyone can view it objectively.