AN UNUSUAL BROWN-GLAZED ‘TIGER’ PILLOW, LIAO TO JIN DYNASTY China, 916-1234. The animal modeled recumbent with a concave back, its head turned and tail swept to one side, the fierce face with large, bulging eyes and furrowed brows, the limbs drawn in. Covered overall in a lustrous greenish-chestnut glaze, which may well be regarded as a predecessor to later Teadust wares. The concave base left unglazed.

Provenance: From a private collection in New York, USA.
Condition: Good condition, commensurate with age. Some old wear, traces of use, shallow surface scratches and firing flaws, including minor firing cracks and dark spots. The forehead with a visible chip.

Expert’s note: The unusual ‘teadust’ patterning in the glaze of this pillow resulted from the random effect of phase separation during early cooling in the kiln and is unique to the present example. The phase separation in the iron-rich glazes of early Chinese wares was also used to produce the well-known ‘oil-spot’, ‘hare’s fur’ and ‘partridge-feather’ glaze effects. No two pillows have an identical patterning and the present lot also has a dark brown ‘iron-foot’ which is typical of this style. It would have been fired, probably with several thousand other pieces, in a single-firing in a large kiln. Needless to say, only very few examples have survived to the present day.

Weight: 971.7 g
Dimensions: Length 26.5 cm

遼至金代褐色釉虎形枕
中國，916-1234年。動物造型為伏臥凹背，頭轉向一側，大眼圓睜，眉頭緊鎖，四肢內收，全身覆蓋著光亮栗綠色釉，很可能是後來茶葉末釉的前身。凹底露胎。

來源：美國紐約私人收藏。
品相：狀況良好，與年齡相稱，有舊時磨損、使用痕跡、表面淺劃痕和燒製瑕疵，包括輕微的燒製裂紋和黑點。虎額有一塊可見的開片。

重量：971.7 克
尺寸：長26.5 厘米