East Asia, China, Song Dynasty, ca. 960 to 1279 CE. An extremely rare cushion depicting a nude, crouching young boy carved from a dense hard stone. The boy is kneeling and leaning on his elbows with folded arms. The underside of the sculpture includes his genitalia, which is not visible when upright. The rounded face is that of a young boy with a visage comprised of incised eyes, protruding nose, and pudgy dimples. His head is shaved but for his pair of petite top knots, and his ears protrude slightly below. The boy's slightly curved back is smooth from use. Most examples of cushions from the Song Dynasty are made from porcelain, so a stone example is rare find! Babies, especially boys, were considered good fortune, and the wish for male heirs was very prevalent. Perhaps a woman that slept on such a pillow would be blessed with male children. Size: 13" L x 5" W x 6.5" H (33 cm x 12.7 cm x 16.5 cm)

Initially created during the Tang dynasty (618 to 906), by the time of the Ming dynasty (1368 to 1644) ceramic pillows became a familiar domestic item for the middle to upper classes of Chinese society. However, surprisingly, they have been understudied by historians, and consequently, relatively little is understood about their function. Some scholars have suggested that they enabled better sleeping positions in order to preserve a woman's complex hairstyles. Guides published during the later Ming dynasty suggest that they were items associated with elegant lifestyles of the upper class. Gao Lian argued that the porcelain used to create the pillows had health benefits, "power to brighten the eyes and benefit the pupils" (Zunsheng Bajian - Eight Discourses on the Art of Elegant Living). Gao Lian also argued that the pillows helped guide dreams; in China dreams were of great import and oftentimes understood as omens. The pillow was believed to mediate between the earthly and celestial worlds.

Cf. a porcelain example at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 1991.253.15

This piece has been searched against the Art Loss Register database and has been cleared. The Art Loss Register maintains the world's largest database of stolen art, collectibles, and antiques.

Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection; ex-M. Kobiashi collection, Hawaii, USA, 1960 to 2000

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#167399

Old inventory label on underside. Felt pads added to elbow and knee to stabilize the piece. Surface wear, scratches, chips, abrasions throughout as shown, with deeper chips along his posterior. Facial features are excellent.