Vintage Chinese Porcelain Opium Pillow 13\" Famille Jaune Yellow Court Ladies Go For Sale

• Double-Sided Narrative Scene: The central white porcelain panels on both the front and back feature an identical, beautifully executed hand-painted scene of elegant court ladies (meiren) playing Weiqi (traditional Chinese Go) in a garden setting. Because the decoration repeats, this piece looks spectacular from any angle and is perfect for a 360-degree display.
• Traditional Venting: The ends feature pierced, openwork coin-shaped cutouts, a historic design element that originally allowed air circulation and prevented cracking during kiln firing.
• Authentic Seal Mark: The unglazed base bears a crisp, stamped iron-red four-character apocryphal Qianlong reign mark (乾隆年製), indicative of quality vintage porcelain production from the mid-to-late 1900s.

• NO chips, cracks, flea bites, or hairline fractures anywhere on the body or along the unglazed base edges.
• The glaze is smooth, clean, and bright.
• The colorful enameled decoration is highly vibrant, crisp, and free of any notable surface scratches, fading, or rubbing wear.

History:Chinese porcelainpillows(also referred to more broadly as ceramic pillows) are a fascinating, ancientcategory of bedding that first emerged during the Sui Dynasty (581–618) andreached their artistic peak during the Song Dynasty (960–1279). While sleepingon a block of glazed ceramic sounds punishing to modern sensibilities, thesefunctional pieces of art served several highly practical purposes in imperialChina:

• Beating the Summer Heat: These headrests were intentionally built hollow with small air holes. This design allowed warm air to escape and left the outer porcelain glaze cool to the touch, offering vital relief during humid nights.
• Preserving Elaborate Hairstyles: Both men and women in ancient China wore long, complex hairstyles that took hours to arrange. Because the neck rested over the curved pillow rather than the back of the head, the hair remained suspended and completely unflattened.
• Pest Control and Posture: The elevated, firm support kept a sleeper\'s face off the ground to deter crawling insects and aligned the curve of the neck to prevent morning stiffness.
• A \"Safe\" Box: Because they were hollow, many individuals used the inside of their pillows as an overnight vault to protect jewelry, money, or secret documents from thieves.