Page 26 - Importan Chinese Art Christie's May 2018

lion pillow was excavated in Bayan’erdeng township, Balin the lower section of the current pillow is depicted, strongly
right Banner (illustrated in Gilded Splendor – Treasures of resembles the couch-like platforms which are seen on
China’s Liao Empire (907-1125), New York, 2006, pp. 346-7, pillows with reclining boy children in the Palace Museum,
no. 111). A small sancai Liao dynasty lion pillow from the Beijing, and the National Palace Museum, Taipei – albeit
Bishop W.C. White and Harris collections was sold by that the lion’s platform fares towards the foot of the pillow.
Christie’s New York 16 March 2017, lot 878. The lion’s platform and the couch-like platforms on which
the children lie each has similar recessed panels around
There is a relationship between the current pillow and a the sides. The same feature can be seen on the remaining
small group of Ding ware pillows in the form of little boys. fragment of another Ding pillow excavated in 1973 at
The National Palace Museum, Taipei has two of these boy Beizhen village, Quyangxian, Hebei province (illustrated in
pillows (illustrated in Catalogue of the Special Exhibition Complete Collection of Ceramic Art Unearthed in China – 3
of Ting Ware White Porcelain, Taipei, 1987, nos. 15 and – Hebei, Beijing, no. 143). The base of this pillow, which has
16), and the Palace Museum, Beijing has a similar pillow lost its upper section, is modelled as a reclining woman,
also depicting a little boy lying on his stomach with one and the couch-like platform on which she lies also has,
foot crossed over the other and his head resting on both somewhat simplifed, recessed panels around the sides. It
arms (illustrated in Porcelain of the Song Dynasty (I), op. is also interesting to note that the fgure of the woman is
cit., pp. 46-7, no. 39). These three pillows are of almost enveloped in scrolls, which are very similar to those which
identical shape. The platform base on which the lion in embellish the lion’s tail on the current pillow.

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