金 磁州窰虎形枕

well-modeled in the form of a recumbent tiger, freely painted with bold brown stripes on an orange slip ground, the ferocious beast with round indented ears, stippled and furrowed eyebrows centered by a wang character, the nostrils formed by two small air holes, its mouth pulled back revealing two sharp front fangs, the tail curling around the back haunches, the slightly concave back reserved in dark-orange slip with a bean-shaped panel depicting a recumbent white-spotted deer resting between two shrubs, all beneath a clear glaze, the flat gray stoneware base unglazed for firing

紐約蘇富比1984年6月12日，編號226

There is a filled firing crack at along the base at the front center and an area of restoration just above and to the left to one back paw and the tip of the tail. There are scattered glaze gaps, most noticeably along the front of the concave top and down the side and around the nose where the revealed body has burnt orange in the firing. There are numerous small chips around the base and expected wear to the glaze.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

A number of tiger-shaped Cizhou pillows have been published, varying in the decoration on the surface, but often painted with birds, flowers and animals. The painting on this piece is unusual; rather than the more typical white ground, the concave bean-shaped section is a dark amber color. A pillow with the same overall orange-slip ground and a wang character between the eyes, but not as finely-painted, reported to have been excavated at Jiaozuo Henan and now in the Jiaozuo Museum, Henan Province is illustrated in Thousand Years Dream, Chinese Ceramic Pillows, Beijing, 2007, pp. 56-57.