Tang dynasty (618-907)
A rare blue and sancai-glazed pottery pillow decorated on the shallow concave top with an elephant carrying a vase on its back.
Wide: 12.2 cm
Hard headrests were used in many Asian cultures. They were usually placed under the neck instead of the head and provided a cooling effect during hot summer nights.
Small pillows of the present type are believed to have been used for supporting the arm or pulse and are often called wrist or pulse rests.
First produced during the Tang dynasty, ceramic 'sancai' pillows became a familiar and popular domestic item.
Although designs of animals such as geese or birds are known, it is very rare to find a pillow decorated with an elephant. Moreover, the blue glaze added to the usual three colours came from imported cobalt from Persia, which was much more expensive and used sparingly, often on small items.
During the Tang dynasty, camels and horses were the primary animals transporting merchant goods from the West along the Silk Route, which connected China with Persia, India and the Eastern Mediterranean. Elephants were also used and were sometimes imported into countries where they did not occur.
The elephant depicted on our pillow carries a vase flanked by leaves, which clearly show the Greco-Roman influence and remind us of the acanthus leaves seen on the top part of the Corinthian-style columns with the ornaments carved as leaves flaring outward (see last image).
In China, the elephant 'xiang' 象, is associated with Buddhism, which came from India. It symbolises peace, prosperity and good fortune. The word for ‘elephant ’ is pronounced the same as 'xiang', which means '(good) sign'. A vase 'ping' 瓶 is pronounced the same as 'ping' 平 (peace). Thus an elephant carrying a vase on its back is pronounced 'taiping you xiang' 太平有象 which stands for 'peaceful times are a good sign/omen'.
The result of Oxford thermoluminescence test no. C123n68 is consistent with the dating of this piece.
