1-233-452 - The Museum of East Asian Art/Heritage Images

Cizhou stoneware pillow with peony scrolls, Five Dynasties-early Northern Song dynasty, China, 10th-11th century. A Cizhou bean-shaped pillow of Mixian type with incised design of peony scrolls. There is a ring punch-marked ground surrounded by floral scrolls on the top and peony scrolls against a ring punch-marked ground around the sides. The pillow is covered all over with a transparent glaze with faintly reddish brown tint except the bottom which shows the white-slipped, greyish brown body. An air hole at the top of the back would have been included to prevent the piece exploding in the kiln.