Lie Down on the Couch Trivia Game | Thematic Objects

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which royal animal would you be riding if you were using a seat known as howdah?

Answer: Elephant

A howdah was used by erstwhile royals in India while riding elephants during hunting or while engaged in war. The seat is fitted with a canopy to provide shade and protection from the elements. It also has a railing so that the rider can maintain balance. The symbol of the elephant and castle is believed to have its origins in this practice.

2. Which of the following pieces of furniture shares its name with the title for a high ranking official in the Middle East or South Asia?

Answer: Divan

A long seat consisting of a mattress with cushions on a small wooden platform is known as a divan. Sometimes the mattress may be placed directly on the floor. The furniture may have derived its name from the fact that they were generally found in rooms where the council of leaders met in the Middle East. The officials (or the council) were called divans resulting in the furniture being known by the same name.

A pouffe is a type of footstool, almirah is the Urdu word for cupboard and gaddi is a Hindi word meaning cushion.

3. What is unique about the Japanese chair, zaisu?

Answer: It has no legs.

The zaisu has a back rest and a cushion for seating but no legs. The cushion is placed on the floor. Sometimes it has an arm rest known as kyousoku. The traditional Japanese sitting style involves sitting on the floor with the legs folded beneath the body and no back support. The zaisu is more comfortable allowing the person to stretch his/her legs and also lean on the back rest.

4. Traditionally, people engaged in which line of work were most likely to use a bosun's chair?

Answer: Sailors

Also known as boatswain's chair, it consisted of a small wooden board tied with ropes and used to hoist sailors aloft or support them while they worked on the sides of the ship. Modern versions of this seat are used by high rise window cleaners in the present day.

5. In which mode of transport are you most likely to come across a jump seat?

Answer: Airplane

A jump seat is a folded up seat used by airline crew to sit when they are not working. Aircraft attendants are required to be seated while the planes take off and land and avail themselves of these seats at such times. Off-duty crew who travel on flights may also use these seats but they are not very comfortable for sitting for long periods of time.

6. Tatami mats were initially used only by members of the Japanese aristocracy to sit on the traditional wooden floors. What were these mats originally made of?

Answer: Rice straw

The original mats had a core consisting of rice straw which was then overlain by softer rush straw. Since the traditional Japanese houses had wooden flooring, the tatami mats were used by the nobility for seating. Over the years, even commoners began to use these mats.

There are also rules regarding the arrangement of these mats within a room with certain styles being considered auspicious and others inauspicious.

7. Who among the following uses an unusual seat known as the Woolsack?

Answer: Lord Speaker of the House of Lords

The Woolsack is a square cushion covered with red cloth that is the official seat of the Lord Speaker in the House of Lords in the British Parliament. The tradition dates back to the reign of Edward III in the fourteenth century where the wool trade was a major driver of the economy. Though originally stuffed with horsehair, in 1938 the cushion was re-stuffed with wool from all the different Commonwealth countries.

8. Now popular as a daybed, the futon was inspired by the traditional form of bedding in which culture?

Answer: Japanese

Traditionally in Japan, futons were a form of bedding consisting of quilts and padded mattresses. These could be folded and stored away during the day, thus inspiring the concept of a daybed. In the western world, futons are a type of couch which can be extended to form a bed.

9. The Stone of Scone has been used during the coronation ceremony of Scotland's kings. According to legend, the history of the stone can be traced to which Biblical figure?

Answer: Jacob

Also known as the Stone of Destiny, the Stone of Scone was used during the coronation of the kings of Scotland. It was later taken to England where it continued to be used in coronation ceremonies, having even been used during the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The stone was returned to Scotland in 1996 where it is housed in the Edinburgh Castle; it will be transported to England when required for future coronation ceremonies.

In the book of Genesis in the Bible, Jacob uses a stone as a headrest when resting at a place later named Bet-El while running away from his brother Esau. While sleeping he had a vision where he wrestled with God through the night. This proved to be a turning point in his life with God renaming him Israel. The Stone of Scone is believed to be the same stone that was used as a pillow by Jacob.

10. Although later used generically to refer to the thrones of Persian rulers, for whom was the original Peacock Throne built?

Answer: Shah Jahan

The Peacock Throne was built for the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan in the seventeenth century. It was so named because the throne had the figures of two peacocks with open tails behind it. Believed to have been built of gold and encrusted with other precious stones, the throne was taken away from India by the Persian ruler Nadir Shah.

It could not be traced after Nadir Shah's assassination and is believed to have been subsequently dismantled or destroyed.

Source: Author zorba_scank

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Snowman before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Lie Down on the Couch Trivia Quiz

If it's not comfortable enough though, we have some more types of seats that you can choose from.

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