Antique Chinese Porcelain Opium Pillow

Picked this up at the local flea-market for next to nothing. In antiques shops they're selling for anywhere from $50-$250.00...



19th century Chinese porcelain opium-smoker's pillow.

 

very nice !

 

Is that what they mean by being "stoned"...... How could that POSSIBLY be comfortable???

 

Yep! That's exactly how they were used

 

If I may,Shangas,HOW can you tell its that old? Ive seen these on occasion,I just assumed they were newer? Bet I look harder next time!

 

Hundreds, thousands of these, were made in China in the 1800s and early 1900s. They were shipped all over the world. I've seen LOADS in antiques shops. Strictly speaking it's not easy to tell, but I've never heard of anybody bothering to reproduce these. Probably because there's so many original ones still around, it's just not worth it. They're simply not valuable enough to waste the money on.

 

Fair point johnny. You'd have to look closely at all aspects of the porcelain, just like any other porcelain.

Jingdezhen makes these very pretty ones, availability 100 per month:
https://www.alibaba.com/product-det...?spm=a2700.7724838.2017115.151.2e2dfd5bORrrhf
They could make different models and decorations, I haven't checked. Of course the dirt is a sign of recent production in this case, but after a bit of a clean...
I'm sure there are other fakes manufacturers in China and Thailand who make them as well. When there is a demand, China and Thailand wil make it.

 

So you think this is a modern reproduction?

 

I don't know. It looks like it could have some age, but with Chinese porcelain (and thriving fakes industry) it is best to err on the side of caution. We'd have to see details.

 

Not 100 per month. Way over 100*100 a day if there's enough demands.

 

From the words it shows on the pillow. It is very funny and these sentence cannot be combined into a composition. From what I can tell, there're words told women to keep chastity, there're words tell people how to clean houses, there're words came from buddism, there're words describe neighbourhood argument, there're also words tell people what kind of food they need choose to keep healthy and there're words about kids education.

 

Something to read while you're exploring your minds eye !
kinda like bathroom literature....

 

Sounds like an ADD pillow. I may need one.