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Pillow talk

Apart from inducing sound sleep, the intricately designed hard porcelain pillows in ancient China were believed to enhance peace and wellness

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Vandana Aggarwal

With modern-day comforts, the idea of resting our heads on a hard surface and using a solid pillow is unimaginable. In ancient times, when soft pillows were unknown, people traditionally used pillows made of wood, bronze or stone. In China, porcelain pillows were widely used. Made in various shapes and sizes, they can be seen in museums worldwide, in private collections and are quite dissimilar to modern pillows.

It is believed that the Chinese invented porcelain in or around 200 AD. It was highly prized and often referred to as white gold because of the prices it commanded. While porcelain was usually used to make bowls and vases, porcelain pillows were a popular luxury item and its presence was first recorded in the 6th century. They came into their own during the reign of the Song Dynasty (960-1279 AD) before being gradually replaced by western-style stuffed pillows. Most were made in a box-like manner with a flat, sunken surface to rest the head and the neck and were highly stylized with fine craftsmanship and intricate designs.

Cultural & artistic significance

The Chinese decorated their pillows with symbolic ornamentation. Designs traditionally associated with royalty like the dragon and phoenix were made for the imperial family. The elite used pillows that were custom made to fit the back of the head and neck.

These pillows served as reminders for good behaviour and often folk maxims and philosophical quotes were engraved on them. They depicted day to day activities like children playing, landscapes, birds, plants, etc. The ones with auspicious motifs like Mandarin ducks and butterflies were gifted at weddings. Special pillows were made to ward off evil spirits and had ferocious lion figures on them.

At a time when education was a much-valued commodity, the round porcelain pillow served to keep the students focused on their studies. As soon as a student fell asleep, his head would roll off and he would wake up.

Pillows were an important part of daily life and were even buried along with the dead to make the afterlife more comfortable. They did not have a fixed shape and could be geometrical, have human or animal form. Pillows shaped like buildings, flowers, etc., have also been discovered.

One object multiple uses

While today we would be hard-pressed to find a person willing to sleep on a hard porcelain pillow, the Chinese believed that hard materials were beneficial to improve the personality. Soft materials resulted in a loss of energy and vitality. Porcelain pillows were considered the perfect aid for a sound sleep during the warm weather and to promote beautiful dreams. They were said to enhance peace and wellness. Literature from the Song period, mention their cooling properties:

"Pillow made by Gong is strong and blue; an old friend gave it to me to beat the heat,

It cools down the room like a breeze; keeping my head cool while I sleep."

Health benefits were attributed to these pillows. They were thought to improve eyesight and reduce blood pressure. Since they were hollow, an opening on the side was used to fill the pillow with sweet-smelling flowers to relax the mind. When stuffed with herbs, they could be used to provide medicinal benefit to the user.

In later years when the use of opium became rampant, addicts used the pillows to store their valuables while they were in a drug-induced sleep. It is for this reason that they are often called opium pillows as well. While pillows today serve very little purpose than aid a good night's sleep, in ancient China they were of both practical and ritual use. They provide a window to the culture, traditions and lifestyle of that period.

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