A Rare Small Blue and Sancai-Glazed Impressed Pottery Pillow

TANG DYNASTY

Details

A Rare Small Blue and Sancai-Glazed Impressed Pottery Pillow
Tang Dynasty
Of rectangular section, the slightly concave top with an impressed design of two confronted mandarin ducks standing on lotus blossoms amidst flower sprigs, all resist-glazed in blue, cream and amber on a green ground flanked by amber and cream borders, the sides also splash-glazed in amber and cream, tiny vent hole on one side
4¾in. (12cm.) long

Provenance

Eskenazi, London, no. C342

Lot Essay

Paired mandarin ducks symbolize conjugal fidelity. Paired mandarin ducks standing on lotus blossoms symbolize divine chastity in Buddhist imagery.
The present example is particularly unusual for the addition of blue glaze. Compare a sancai-glazed pillow of similar design illustrated in The Panoramic Views of Chinese Patterns, Heibonsha, 1985, fig. 202, and another exhibited in To So mei to ten (Exhibition of Fine Tang and Song Ceramics), Shirakiya, Tokyo, 10 - 22 April, 1964, fig. 30.

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