Chinese Lacquer Pillow

Fine vertical grooves ripple through the red, like a ribbed curtain.

This lacquerware pillow is from Shanxi Province, China, and dates to the 20th century. Lacquer is made from the sap of the lacquer tree, and it is applied in thin layers that harden into a smooth, durable surface. A compact rounded rectangle in a deep, brick red with narrow vertical lines running down its sides. The ends are slightly rounded and the glossy finish is worn pale in places along the top edge. It is 11.5 inches wide, 5 deep and 5 high.

The pinstripes give it the air of a very small bank manager.