It is a zabuton designed for use of a monk on the occasion of Buddhist memorial service. The luxurious cloth, made with ‘kinran (gold threads)’ and the noble purple colored fabric, are generally used for hoyo-zabuton.
In consideration of the length of time required to chant the sutras, many of them are usually filled with a thick layer of cotton batting, which may allow the monk to chant the sutras in comfort for a great length of time.