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Chinese Porcelain Pillow

by Kurt Karlsson
(Orillia Ontario Canada)

I just bought this item not knowing what it was

until I did some reserch on then internet. A very

interesting item, A Chinese porcelain pillow.

Comments for Chinese Porcelain Pillow

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May 31, 2013
 small blue & white porcelain
by: Gayle

I have several of these small "pillows" ...they are about 5 in x 5.5 in. x 2.1/4 in. Perforated at two opposite ends. Handpainted with scenes of women around the house. There's no opening for a wallet or valuables...just two perforated ends. I think Peter may be correct in that they may be made for use in Chinese medicine, such as resting the wrist so the doctor can take the pulse.
Apr 10, 2013
 Porcelaine Pillow
by: Kurt Karlsson

hello Gia'. my correct email is. kurtkarlsson9176_at_yahoo.ca

[email edited by admin]
replace _at_ by a

Note to Kurt:
Better give a web address (can be a Facebook account, etc.) and put your email there.
This site is crawled regularly and you might find yourself on a spamlist in not time at all, if you make it available in the message body.
Apr 06, 2013
 Porcelaine Pillow
by: Kurt Karlsson

Hello Gia,
yes I would like to see a photo of the porcelaine pillow.My
E-Mail. Is--------kurtkarlsson9176_at_ahoo.ca
Apr 04, 2013
 Same Pillow
by: Gia

I just found a link to the exact pillow I have that resembles yours. See it on RubyLane:
www.rubylane.com/item/586567-RL-000549/19th-c-Chinese-Famille-Vert
Apr 04, 2013
 Similar Porcelain Pillow
by: Gia

I have a very similar porcelain pillow to yours. The color pallet is the same and the pattern of the top and bottom bands are virtually identical. The subject matter is different. I purchased mine in 1980 from a furniture dealer in High Point North Carolina. At the time I paid $95-$150 for it. At the time I believed it was a decorative reproduction. I'm happy to send a photo is you tell me where to send it.
Feb 25, 2011
 Thank You
by: Kurt Karlsson




Hello Peter,

Thank you for your reply, and the information you provided. I read it very carefully, and
appreciate the detail that you went into.




Feb 24, 2011
 cushion
by: peter

Hello Knud,

First I want to clarify a thing which I did not mention in my first comment. Your item is likely new or recently made. The decoration contains late Qing elements, but the central figure looks like if it were from 300 hundred years ago. Such a mix is usually an indication that an item is relatively new.

As to the purpose, no I don't think it is a pillow, it is a cushion of sorts.
The weblink you provided shows many pillows, but some are not. If you look at the same page you will see a type that is rectangular item like yours, occurring several times. It is blue and white. That type is not a pillow. Similar rectangular items are mostly not pillows. They will have a smaller size and before all less height. Pillows usually show rounded edges, or they are curved, or the top surface is oblique, etc.

The reason I asked for the dimensions is because I thought yours is for the same purpose as the blue and white ones.
Those BW one are most likely transfer printed, although some may be handpainted. They are smaller in size and lower than pillows because they are cushions or pads to put the wrist on for feeling the patient's pulse.
You know perhaps that classical Chinese medicine recognizes quite a number of pulses. These are felt by the doctor to detect the bodily condition. You put the wrist with the back downwards on a cushion or pad to let him/her feel the pulse. Today, here where I live, they use leather pads, but I have seen quite a number of these vintage porcelain cushions for this use. They all are similar to those blue and white ones. Yours is likely also for this purpose.

Many people in the west are not aware of its use because they never have been to a doctor of Chinese medicine. :-)
Feb 24, 2011
 Re: Porcelain Pillow
by: Kurt Karlsson

Hello,
I did my research on various web-sites,
but "Google Images" has quite a few
pictures you can view.......

The size is....... Across - 5" or 13cm.

Hight - 7 3/4" or 20cm.

Deep - 2 1/4" or 6cm.
Feb 23, 2011
 dimensions
by: peter

Hello,
Do you have any dimensions? Its use depends on the dimensions. From the shape it looks more to be for another purpose than sleeping on it.

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