A long rectangular cushioned board set on legs, this piece of furniture was set either at the side or in front of a seated or kneeling person. The legs, placed a little in from either end, rested on horizontal structures (kyakuza) that were broad enough to balance the armrest and were in turn often placed on boards (shikiita) that prevented damage to the surface below. Alternatively some, like the Armrest Covered in a Patterned Silk (Nishiki) of Phoenix Medallions on a Purple Ground, took the form of cushioned rectangular blocks.