For sale is an authentic, beautifully preserved Japanese porcelain summer pillow (Takamakura or Makura headrest), dating to the late Meiji to early Taisho era (circa 1905–1920s).

This hollow ceramic piece features traditional blue-and-white hand-painted imagery and calligraphy, originally used during warm summer months or by Japanese women to protect elaborate, freshly styled hairstyles while resting.

Design & Markings

• Top Characters: Features large, boldly painted hand-brushed kanji reading "福徳" (Fukutoku), translating to a blessing of "Good Fortune and Virtue" or "Blessings and Prosperity."

• Base Maker's Mark: The underside bears a crisp, authentic impressed rectangular cartouche containing the old-form kanji: "實用新案 商標登録" (Jitsuyō shinan shōhyō tōroku). This historical mark denotes a legally protected "Utility Model, Registered Trademark."

• Aesthetics: The sides are adorned with scrollwork, stylized foliage, geometric borders, and traditional orchid motifs over a• smooth glaze.

History & Context

Porcelain pillows were highly favored in East Asia for their cool touch during hot, humid nights. In Japan, these takamakura were also essential styling accessories for geishas and women wearing complex nihongami hair arrangements, allowing the neck to be elevated off the bedding.

The presence of the "Utility Model" trademark dates this piece precisely after 1905, when Japan introduced its breakthrough Utility Model Law (Jitsuyō Shinan Hō) to protect practical household innovations. The use of the ancient character 實 (instead of the modern shinjitai 实 or 実) places production firmly between 1905 and the 1920s.

Condition

• Excellent antique condition.

• Free of structural hairline cracks, restorations, or major chips along the glaze or body.

• The unglazed foot rim shows minor, honest age-related shelf wear and oxidation from age.

• Equipped with vintage protective felt pads on the base to guard tabletop surfaces.

Specifications

• Material: Fine cobalt blue-and-white porcelain / ceramic.

• Origin: Japan

• Era: Late Meiji to Taisho (c. 1905–1920)

Shipped with USPS Ground Advantage Mail.