This 'ruyi-shaped' Cizhou pillow is incised with a poem, filled with sorrow, bitterness and pain. A heartbroken lady from a rich family waits in tears for the return of her husband or lover. The futile wait causes her to lament on his 'heartlessness'. Cizhou wares were made at kilns in Hebei and other parts of China, such as Henan and Shaanxi. They include common daily objects, such as vases and pillows.Pillows were made in many different forms like headrests for the living and for accompanying the dead in their eternal rest. Ruyi literally means 'as you wish'. Designed with many symbols to convey different wishes, a depiction of a ruyi pillow suggests that the user would be blessed with good luck.
