Featured Opium Pillow help, Chinese Kanji translation

Discussion in 'Pottery, Glass, and Porcelain' started by thefathand, Dec 17, 2019.

  1. thefathand

    thefathand Active Member

    Hi all,
    I hope all is well here and all you knowledgeable people are in good body and good health! :D I bought this opium pillow today and I'm trying to find out what it says on the bottom =translation. In short, I hope it don't say "this is a fake made in 2018" :D but hey I'm not out a ton of money so if it does, lesson learned. ;) Anyone have any idea? I'll leave a link so you can see other opium pillows. Much appreciation! :)

    https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...Xopium+pillow.TRS0&_nkw=opium+pillow&_sacat=0
    pillowa_1200x900.jpg pillowb_1200x900.jpg pillowc_1200x900.jpg pillowd_1200x900.jpg pillowe_1200x900.jpg IMG_1609.jpg
     
  2. janetpjohn

    janetpjohn Well-Known Member

    While you're waiting, you can try the gotheborg.com site. Click on Chinese marks on the left.
     
    thefathand, KikoBlueEyes and Bronwen like this.
  3. Bakersgma

    Bakersgma Well-Known Member

    With the top character in both columns mostly missing, it's tough to be exact. The colorway is not earlier than the mid-20th century IMHO. The Chinese are prolific users of "honorific" markings. These are not "fakes" so much as misleading for the uninitiated.

    The 4 characters that are complete appear in a number of marks shown on Gotheborg - meaning usually interpreted as "period made."
     
    antidiem, KikoBlueEyes and aaroncab like this.
  4. johnnycb09

    johnnycb09 Well-Known Member

    Ive not seen one that wasnt one solid piece so Im thinking more a decor item. Charming nonetheless.
     
    antidiem, Bakersgma and pearlsnblume like this.
  5. blooey

    blooey Well-Known Member

    Modern decorative item, agree.
     
    aaroncab, Bakersgma and pearlsnblume like this.
  6. evelyb30

    evelyb30 Well-Known Member

    Yep. Not a fake, just not old and not made to look old.
     
    thefathand and aaroncab like this.
  7. thefathand

    thefathand Active Member

    Great I'll check out that website, I had forgotten all about it! :D Yeah, I always see these as one piece items myself. As the story goes, people would smoke their opium and place their wallet and other items inside the pillow. I find it hard to believe they actually used these as pillows but who knows what goes on in the mind of an under the influence opium addict?!!! :D
     
  8. blooey

    blooey Well-Known Member

    This isn't really an opium pillow, they didn't really look like that ..it is a box in the form of a Chinese pillow, but pillows weren't made as boxes, they were solid.

    This is really just a decorative box in the shape of a pillow with the word "opium" added as a sales aid.
     
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