Pillow in Shape of Reclining Woman

Pillow in Shape of Reclining Woman

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The making of ceramic pillows is one of the more interesting results of the dramatic increase in the use of ceramic goods in China from the ninth to the fourteenth century. Produced in many of the kiln complexes throughout China, these uncomfortable-looking pillows were widely used, and are sometimes explained as neck rests intended to protect a woman’s elaborate coiffure while she slept.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Pillow in Shape of Reclining WomanPillow in Shape of Reclining WomanPillow in Shape of Reclining WomanPillow in Shape of Reclining WomanPillow in Shape of Reclining Woman

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.