A DING WHITE GLAZE PILLOW WITH BROWN PEONY
Jin Dynasty
This bean-shaped pillow has a high front, low rear, and slight concave middle. This pillow is a classic Ding ware, and can often be seen in major museums around the world. It is engraved with a peony, which represents wealth. From the crafting method, we can probably guess that brown was painted on the embryo. After sketching out the decoration, the outer parts were removed, thus manifesting the three dimensional effect of a brown peony on white ground. The sides are engraved with curly grass patterns, which seem quite bold. Only the upper side and bottom of the pillow are there a few traces of cracks, manifesting the passage of time.
Comparison:
The Palace Museum in Beijing has a similarly styled gold Ding White Glaze Floral Pillow in its collection that can be used as a reference.
See:
Edited by Li Hui-Bing, Song Porcelains (I) , Hong Kong: The Commercial Press, 1996, p. 98-99.