I first saw this in Taipei’s National Palace Museum, and then recently another specimen was on display in the brand new Hong Kong Palace Museum on loan from Beijing’s The Palace Museum.
Pillow in the Shape of Recumbent Child 定窯白瓷嬰兒枕
Porcelain (Ding ware) | Northern Song dynasty (960-1127) | Dimensions: H 18.8cm, Base 31cm x 13.2cm | National Palace Museum 瓷 定窯 | 北宋 (西元960-1127) | 高18.8公分，底徑31X13.2公分 | 國立故宮博物院
This example, in the form of a child playing, was for general use. The design is both life-like and alluring, with the child, clearly in excellent health, wearing a suit of clothing including a long brocaded top, lying on a mattress, legs crossed behind.
During the Tang dynasty, most ceramics pillows either had a three-color glaze, or were glazed brown, black, or a changsha bronze color. At the time, there were only two types of these pillows, one for sleeping and the other for taking a pulse. By the Song dynasty, there was a greater variety of designs, including one made especially to be buried with the deceased. The variations included those of different sizes, styles, and decorations, the last of which usually implied auspicious meaning.
The front and back of the pillow were made separately, mold-pressed and then put together before firing. After they had been put together, the facial expression and details on the clothing were carved.
The base is flat, with a round hole cut into the left and right sides to allow air to escape during the firing process, preventing the piece from exploding in the kiln. The glaze is ivory white with a hint of grey. As Ding ware was fired using charcoal as fuel, it had to be fired in an oxidised atmosphere, giving the white glaze this yellowish hue. The glaze has run on several parts of the base, an effect described by literati as “tear marks.”
Headrest in the Shape of a Reclining Boy 定窑白釉孩儿枕
Porcelain (Ding ware) | Northern Song dynasty (960-1127) | Dimensions: H 18.8cm, Base 31cm x 13.2cm | The Palace Museum, Beijing 瓷 定窯 | 北宋 (西元960-1127) | 高18.8公分，底徑31X13.2公分 | 故宮博物院
The Palace Museum in Beijing has a very similar example, but it lacks the detail in the child’s clothing in comparison to the two in NPM collection. This particular porcelain pillow was left behind when artefacts from the Forbidden City were moved to Chongqing during the Japanese invasion, and subsequent to Taipei during the Nationalist retreat.
Bean-shaped pillow with child-design incised against ring-matted ground on white slip coating 珍珠地划婴孩纹腰形枕
Porcelain (Ding ware) | Northern Song dynasty (960-1127) | Museum of Nanyue King, Shenzhen, Donated by Mr Mrs Yeung Wing Tak 瓷 定窯 | 北宋 (西元960-1127) | 南越王博物馆, 杨永德伉俪捐赠
珍珠地划婴孩纹腰形枕, 瓷 定窯 | 北宋 (西元960-1127) | 南越王博物馆, 杨永德伉俪捐赠
定窑产地在今河北省保定市曲阳县的涧磁村及东燕川村、西燕川村一带，因该地区唐宋时期属定州管错，故名定窑。定窑创烧于唐，极盛于北宋及金，终于元，以产白瓷著称。定窑瓷桃造型及装饰主要选择与人们日常生活息息相关的形象，生动传神，非具实用性。
Ding Kiln is located in Baoding, Hebei Province. It’s famous for producing ceramic white wares.
Pillow in shape of child holding lotus leaf with graffito peony scroll glaze on iron brown coating 褐地剔牡丹纹擎荷娃娃枕
Porcelain (Ding ware) | Jin Dynasty (1115-1234) | Museum of Nanyue King, Shenzhen, Donated by Mr Mrs Yeung Wing Tak 瓷 定窯 | 金 (西元1115-1234) | 南越王博物馆, 杨永德伉俪捐赠
褐地剔牡丹纹擎荷娃娃枕, 瓷 定窯 | 金 (西元1115-1234) | 南越王博物馆
It seems that Ding Kiln in Hebei is famous for producing ceramic/porcelain pillows with child painting figures. There were some others that I saw in museums elsewhere that were produced around the same period.
About Chinese National Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese National Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
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