Glazed Painted Stoneware Pillow, Cizhou Signed

The high oval shaped pillow bears a quatrefoil top surface, painted in dark brown on the lighter cream coloured slip, with a semi-reclining tiger resting his head on crossed front paws, looking back toward its own long snake-like tail, amongst a grassy and rocky landscape with with a leafy branch growing out of the rocks.
 

The sides are painted with a scrolling design, and the unglazed base bears a Zhang family seal impressed in the ceramic prior to firing.

Provenance