Minneapolis Institute of Art

Pillow

China

Date

11th century

Medium

Tz'u-chou ware Slip-covered stoneware with incised floral decor against a fish roe ground

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

This bean-shaped head-rest represents a sub-group of cizhou ware, mainly pillows whose floral designs were created by incising through a white slip and setting them off against a punch marked, so-called fish-roe ground. Cizhou wares with incised designs on a ground of closely stamped rings like this example were produced from the tenth to early twelfth century. The ring-punch ground design was most likely influenced by Tang dynasty (618-906) metalwork wherein ring-punched grounds were used to set off major design motifs in gold and silver vessels. China, Asia

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