Ewer in the form of a Sheng Player, China, Liao dynasty (916-1125), 421.2 cm (8 3/8 in.) high. The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1953.248.

Headrest with Three Lions, China, Liao dynasty (916-1125). Glazed earthenware, sancai (three-color ware), 13.4 x 37.9 x 18.2 cm. Gift of Donna and James Reid 2017.15.

Three lions—two ferocious adults and one playful cub—form the base of this Chinese headrest. Often found at burial sites, headrests probably had multiple uses for their owners, but their exact origins are unknown. As ceramic pillows, headrests were cooling on hot summer nights. As decorative objects, their form and ornamentation conveyed symbolic meaning for their owners. Lions are used as decoration on headrests because of their association with protection, as fierce beasts with the strength to ward off evil spirits while one sleeps.

While headrests made of hard materials may seem unusual now, their use crosses time periods and cultures. They are not just decorative—they would also be slept on as pillows.

Pair of Leather Bag-Shaped Flasks with Covers, Northeast China, Liao dynasty (916-1125). Earthenware with green glaze. Part 1: 24.5 x 16.5 x 16 cm; Part 2: 23.5 x 17.5 x 13.8 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Donna and James Reid 2012.448.

Flasks like these derive their shapes from leather bags; even the edges are finely rouletted to resemble the seams of sewn leather. These were used by the nomadic Khitan people who established the Liao kingdom in Inner Mongolia, Manchuria, and North China. Such wares represented the Liao adoption of the Tang Chinese ceramic tradition, and yet they expressed ethnic identity and new innovations resulted from the cultural borrowing. 

Jar, Northeast China, Liao dynasty (916-1125). White porcelain with combed and incised decoration. Diameter: 12.8 x 12.5 cm; Overall: 12.5 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1957.29.

This finely potted vessel has an off-white porcelain body covered with a transparent glaze, giving an overall warm white color. A lattice of foliage patterns is combed and incised in the clay; the bold, uninhibited decoration interacts with the compact ceramic form and the subtle glazing to give it a special aesthetic appeal.

Square Dish, Northeast China, Liao dynasty (916-1125). White porcelain with impressed decoration,2.8 x 11.5 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 1957.30.

Vase, Northeast China, Liao dynasty (916-1125). Burnished stoneware, 43.2 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Charles W. Harkness Endowment Fund, 1919.34.

Ewer with Corolla Base, China, Manchuria, Liao dynasty (916-1125). Pottery. Diameter: 54.6 cm; Overall: 39.4 cm; Base: 19.4 x 18 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Worcester R. Warner Collection 1915.309.

Jar, China, Manchuria, Liao dynasty (916-1125). Glazed stoneware, Cizhou ware, 27.4 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund, 1948.224.

Vase, Northern China, Liao dynasty (916-1125) or Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). Green-glazed stoneware with underglaze white-slip coating, Cizhou ware. Diameter: 13.5 cm; Overall: 32.6 cm. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of John L. Severance, 1942.656.