Headrest with Three Lions
Unknown Artist
916–1125
Medium
Glazed earthenware, sancai (three-color ware)
Dimensions
13.4 × 37.9 × 18.2 cm · h. 36.8 cm
Classification
Ceramic
Department
Chinese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Donna and James Reid
Accession Number
2017.15
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
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...