Chinese Pillow with Child's Motif

A small boy crouches under a broad leaf, holding up the whole roof with his back.

This pillow with child's motif comes from Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, China, and dates to the 19th century. It is porcelain. Ceramic pillows have a long history in China, and figures of playful boys are a familiar auspicious motif, generally read as a wish for many sons. Here a reclining child, his limbs rounded and a trailing vine at his side, supports a wide, scalloped headrest shaped like a curling leaf. The whole is covered in a pale bluish-white glaze, pooling in the folds and showing small rusty specks at the base. It is 7 inches wide, 6 deep and 4.5 high.

Sweet dreams, with structural support.