Pillow in the form of a Tiger,

12th century

12th century

Asia, China

With bold and freely painted lines, this ceramic pillow in the shape of a compactly formed recumbent tiger is likely a product of the prolific Cizhou kilns in north China. Cizhou kilns produced objects for daily use and are characterized by simple but assured brushwork decoration in black or brown glaze on an off-white background. Along with kiln sites that produced imperial wares and fine ceramics, the Cizhou kilns were one of the most important sites of ceramic production in Middle Period (10th–14th century) China.

Ceramic pillows reached a peak of popularity during the Tang (618–907) and Song (960–1279) dynasties and are often found in tombs. However, they were also functional objects used by the living as demonstrated by archaeological and textual evidence. It was thought that ceramic pillows were good cooling devices as they kept the head elevated. It’s also likely that such pillows would have been popular among fashionable women whose coiffures were often voluminous in size and sculpted to last for some time. Moreover, ceramic pillows became popular vehicles for the artistic display of auspicious motifs (in this instance, tigers were a protective emblem and thought ensure male progeny ) and were also one of the few objects that ceramic potters could demonstrate a flair for creative ingenuity. As such they are fascinating objects and come in a range of designs, including sculpted and painted ones such as this.

This tiger is depicted with its head held up and eyes wide open in an alert pose. Its broad concave back is softly rounded to serve as a headrest and a long tail is curled along one side. The tiger’s distinctive black stripes are painted over a tan brown ground and the entire body is covered in a clear glaze, except the base.