Ink on Pillow: The Study of Character Pillow in Song and Jin Dynasties

Abstract

As a unique ceramic ware, the porcelain pillow has high academic value and historical significance. This paper comprehensively studies the character pillow, a type of porcelain pillow with character and poetry decorations, in the Song and Jin Dynasties through physical material and literature resources.The paper is divided into three sections. The first chapter is an introduction, mainly summarizing the topic’s origin, background, and related research. The second chapter discusses character decoration, calligraphy art, ceramic technology, and the social background of the typical character pillows from important kilns such as Cizhou Kiln. The third chapter summarizes the previous text and concludes that porcelain pillows serve practical functions and significant vessels of cultural spirit, revealing the elevated and abundant cultural connotation of porcelain art in the Song and Jin Dynasties.