Beat heat with bamboo bolster from Zhejiang

Major Heat (da shu) comes, signaling the arrival of the hottest day. Before air conditioning, ancient Chinese ingenuity brought cool comfort right to bed with the help of a zhu furen (literally lady bamboo) bamboo bolster. This cylindrical item dates back to the Republic of China (1912-49), hollow and beautifully woven from bamboo strips in a hexagonal pattern. Now it is housed at Zhejiang Provincial Museum.