Chinese Yingqing or Qingbai Glaze Ingot-Shaped Pillow

Pale as pond ice, and shaped to carry a sleeper’s head.

Potters at the Hutian kilns in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi Province, China, made this ingot-shaped pillow in porcelain in the 20th century, in a Yingqing or Qingbai glaze. Ceramic pillows are commonly associated with Chinese households, and this form echoes the shape of a silver ingot. The glaze is a very pale celadon, thin and glassy. Incised scrolling foliage covers the sides, and the curved top rises at each end with scalloped edges. A few darker flecks show on the base.

About 11 inches wide and 4 inches tall. Equally at ease as a shelf piece or a place for reading glasses.