Pillow with Boy Supporting a Cloud-Shaped Headdrest

This ceramic pillow from the Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) shows a boy supporting a cloud-shaped headrest. It's an example of Cizhou ware, a type of sturdy earthenware produced at kilns throughout northern China from the late Tang through early Ming dynasties. Ceramic pillows first appeared during the Sui dynasty (581-618 CE) and remained popular for centuries. The cool surface of fired clay provided relief from summer heat in northern China's continental climate.

While initially assumed to be burial goods, scholars now believe ceramic pillows were used in daily life as well. The figural form, with a boy supporting the headrest, shows the creative freedom of Cizhou potters who went beyond simple geometric shapes. The green and yellow glazes come from copper and iron oxides applied over a white slip coating. The piece is at the Art Institute of Chicago.