China
Pillow with landscape and floral designs
Jin dynasty, 13th century
Cizhou ware, stoneware with underglaze iron 
decoration
ht.: 14.7 cm
Gift of Russell Tyson, 1946.945

Today, most of us think pillows should be soft. However, in ancient China, hard ceramic pillows were used in life, perhaps as neck- or arm-rests, and were buried with the dead. Ceramic pillows were made in a great variety of shapes, and were decorated with painted, glazed, and carved designs. This pillow is painted with landscape scenes. Find the mountains and trees.