Lot 714. A 'Cizhou' sgraffiato 'lotus' pillow, Northern Song-Jin dynasty (960-1234). Length 11 in., 28 cm. Estimate 5,000 — 7,000 USD. © Sotheby's.

of bean shape, the slightly sloping concave top carved through creamy white slip with a lush lotus blossom borne on a leafing stem reserved against a ‘fish-roe’ ground enclosed within a key fret border, the sides freely incised with scrollwork between single-line borders, all covered in a transparent glaze, the base partially glazed.

Provenance: Collection of Russell M. Tyson (1867-1963).
Bequest to the Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, in 1964 (acc. no. 1964.792).