White-glazed Openwork House-shaped Pillow with a Modeled Figure, Ding ware, Northern Song dynasty (960-1127). Height 13.6 cm, Length 22.9 cm, Width 18.4 cm; Weight: 1,430 g © Shanghai Museum

This porcelain pillow is white glazed all over, with smooth glaze, strong vitreous shine and white and refined body. A dense and smooth interlaced floral branch design is carved on the pillow surface all over, below which there is a flat seat in the shape of palace imitating timber architecture, the doors and windows, the gate arch, the foundation and the steps of which are lifelike. The front door is tightly closed and the back one half open with a man standing sideway in front of it. The whole work looks unique and ingenious. Porcelain pillows first were seen in the Tang dynasty and grew extensively popular in the Song and Jin dynasties. But, as the only piece of its kind in China’s domestic collections, such a porcelain pillow engraved with the design of palace and figures in openwork is rare.