The earliest cushions in use known is circa 7,000 BC, in the early civilizations of Mesopotamia. Cushions were related to status – the more you owned the more affluent you were seen to be. In a time of discomfort for the majority, to be comfortable was to be wealthy. The tradition of cushion and pillow usage In Europe derived from the classical Greek and Roman usage. They had large cushions for reclining on smaller cushions for chairs, cushions for sleeping. In China materials that were used included ceramic, bamboo, wood and bronze. The cushions were softened by laying fabric over them. Their usage continued right up until the 20th century, with ceramic cushions being slowly phased out from the 14th century onwards, but still on use up until the 1910s.