This rectangular-shaped shape pillow is covered in a 'three-colour' ('sancai') lead glaze. The colours comprise streaky green, cream and brown. The streaky appearance is produced upon firing when the glazes fuse together. Often this effect is enhanced by painting on a medium such as wax grease or liquid that resists coloured glazes, producing creamy coloured patches in addition to the streaks. The practice of using lead-glazed burial wares had already started during the Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE). This glaze technology further developed during the Tang dynasty (618-906) to include 'sancai' ('three-colour') glaze. It included colours such as cream, amber, green brown and blue tones which were combined or used on their own. This tradition continued into the Liao period.
