A Lacquered and Carved Wooden Pillow: Cloth Cushion and Paper Cover

late nineteenth, early twentieth century
8" x 8" x 4 1/4", 20.25 cm x 20.25 cm x 11 cm

This elegantly formed lacquered wood object is a traditional Japanese pillow.

The slender, beautifully designed base is surmounted by a cushion made of cotton cloth filled with what might be buckwheat or some other type of grain. A sheet of washi or Japanese paper covers the cloth and is attached to the pillow with a string.

Interesting to note is that in old Japan pillows such as this were sometimes covered with several, stacked sheets of paper so that after one use of the pillow one of the leaves of paper would be removed, thus leaving a clean sheet ready to use.

The lacquered base shows some wear and dings. The cotton cloth of the cushion shows a bit of loss and an even coating of ingrained dirt.

This object has an commanding, abstract presence and is a lovely object to admire for its well-designed form.