Ho Ho Boy Headrest

c. 1900
$980 USD
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Dimensions
W: 10.0" D: 4.5" H: 4.75"
Materials
Ceramic
Purchase Quantity
Collection #
PR0337
Estimated Shipping
$38

To keep her elaborate hairstyle intact while sleeping, a well-to-do Qing-dynasty woman once used this ceramic headrest as a pillow. This headrest is shaped in the form of a baby boy, a motif commonly termed "ho ho boy." Children were a popular motif in Chinese art and furniture, and were considered lucky talismans, especially for prospective parents. This ho ho boy headrest may have once been used by an expectant mother, hoping the pillow would give her dreams of a healthy baby. A monochrome white glaze sheets across the exterior and pools in the folds of the sleeping child's clothes.

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Headrests

Headrests and neck pillows have been used since ancient times to keep the head elevated while sleeping and hold the body in a comfortable position. Whether functional or purely decorative, such headrests were crafted from a variety of materials and were often decorated with elaborate patterns or symbolic motifs.

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