A YELLOW-GLAZED MONOCHROME DISH, MING DYNASTY, CHINA, 16TH-17TH CENTURY
A YELLOW-GLAZED MONOCHROME DISH, MING DYNASTY, CHINA, 16TH-17TH CENTURY
Delicately potted with shallow rounded sides rising from a short foot to a gently everted rim, covered overall with a fine glaze of rich egg-yolk yellow, pooling slightly to a deeper tone toward the foot.
The recessed base left white and painted with an underglaze-blue six-character mark da Ming Chenghua nianzhi within a double circle.
Provenance: John Sparks, London, United Kingdom (label and collector's notes). R & G McPherson Antiques, London, United Kingdom, by November 2005 (collector's notes). The Peter and Mary White collection of Chinese Ceramics, no. 29, acquired from the above. The base with an old label from John Sparks and one from The Peter and Mary White collection.
Robert McPherson is an English dealer and highly regarded expert in Chinese ceramics, a committee member of the Oriental Ceramic Society, and on the board of 'Asian Art in London'.
Peter and Mary White are distinguished British collectors whose lifelong engagement with ceramics spans more than fifty years. Their collection, comprising over 3,000 objects, reflects a broad and scholarly interest in the global history of ceramics, with particular strength in Chinese, European, and Islamic wares, largely dating before 1800. Collecting began in their early married life and evolved through sustained study, travel, and close relationships with specialist dealers, curators, and fellow collectors. Both are deeply involved in ceramic study societies, including the Oriental Ceramic Society and the French Porcelain Society. Peter served as treasurer of several organizations, while Mary played a central role in documenting the collection. Their holdings, displayed in purpose-built spaces within their home, emphasize comparative study and the transmission of ceramic traditions through trade. The collection was dispersed through a series of sales at Bonhams under the title A Life in Ceramics: The Peter and Mary White Collection, marking one of the most comprehensive private ceramic collections formed in Britain in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear, firing irregularities including firing cracks, a tiny glaze recess to the mouth, and few dark spots, traces of use including glaze abrasions to interior, three fine rim hairlines.
Weight: 420 g
Dimensions: Diameter 20.7 cm
Of all the monochrome glazes, yellow holds a special significance due to its direct association with Imperial patronage. Characterized by a seemingly simplistic form and color, the present dish stands amongst the most technically demanding porcelain wares ever crafted. Achieving perfection in potting, glazing, and firing was imperative, as even the slightest flaw could lead to the piece being discarded. The 'Imperial yellow' glaze, made by infusing ferric oxide into the lead silicate base, was produced at the Imperial kilns in Jingdezhen throughout the Ming dynasty.
Production of yellow glazed ware continued under successive reigns, but it reached particular acclaim during the Hongzhi period, when the glaze was prized for its soft, pure, and even tone, qualities that earned it the refined name of 'tender yellow' (jiaohuang). During the subsequent Zhengde and Jiajing periods, yellow-glazed wares remained modelled on those of the Xuande and Hongzhi reigns. Such pieces were sometimes inscribed with apocryphal marks imitating earlier periods, such as the present lot. Yellow-glazed wares of the Kangxi period typically display a deeper tone compared to those of the 16th century. Differences are also evident in the proportions of the foot rims, with Ming examples generally featuring taller foot rims than their Kangxi counterparts.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related yellow-glazed dish with Chenghua mark, dated Kangxi period, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, reference number 故00147238.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: China Guardian, Beijing, 27 October 1999, lot 932
Price: RMB 52,000 or approx.
EUR 11,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Yellow glazed dish, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period
Expert remark: Compare the similar glaze, size (22.3 cm), and apocryphal Jiajing mark.
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30%
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A YELLOW-GLAZED MONOCHROME DISH, MING DYNASTY, CHINA, 16TH-17TH CENTURY
Delicately potted with shallow rounded sides rising from a short foot to a gently everted rim, covered overall with a fine glaze of rich egg-yolk yellow, pooling slightly to a deeper tone toward the foot.
The recessed base left white and painted with an underglaze-blue six-character mark da Ming Chenghua nianzhi within a double circle.
Provenance: John Sparks, London, United Kingdom (label and collector's notes). R & G McPherson Antiques, London, United Kingdom, by November 2005 (collector's notes). The Peter and Mary White collection of Chinese Ceramics, no. 29, acquired from the above. The base with an old label from John Sparks and one from The Peter and Mary White collection.
Robert McPherson is an English dealer and highly regarded expert in Chinese ceramics, a committee member of the Oriental Ceramic Society, and on the board of 'Asian Art in London'.
Peter and Mary White are distinguished British collectors whose lifelong engagement with ceramics spans more than fifty years. Their collection, comprising over 3,000 objects, reflects a broad and scholarly interest in the global history of ceramics, with particular strength in Chinese, European, and Islamic wares, largely dating before 1800. Collecting began in their early married life and evolved through sustained study, travel, and close relationships with specialist dealers, curators, and fellow collectors. Both are deeply involved in ceramic study societies, including the Oriental Ceramic Society and the French Porcelain Society. Peter served as treasurer of several organizations, while Mary played a central role in documenting the collection. Their holdings, displayed in purpose-built spaces within their home, emphasize comparative study and the transmission of ceramic traditions through trade. The collection was dispersed through a series of sales at Bonhams under the title A Life in Ceramics: The Peter and Mary White Collection, marking one of the most comprehensive private ceramic collections formed in Britain in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Condition: Very good condition with minor old wear, firing irregularities including firing cracks, a tiny glaze recess to the mouth, and few dark spots, traces of use including glaze abrasions to interior, three fine rim hairlines.
Weight: 420 g
Dimensions: Diameter 20.7 cm
Of all the monochrome glazes, yellow holds a special significance due to its direct association with Imperial patronage. Characterized by a seemingly simplistic form and color, the present dish stands amongst the most technically demanding porcelain wares ever crafted. Achieving perfection in potting, glazing, and firing was imperative, as even the slightest flaw could lead to the piece being discarded. The 'Imperial yellow' glaze, made by infusing ferric oxide into the lead silicate base, was produced at the Imperial kilns in Jingdezhen throughout the Ming dynasty.
Production of yellow glazed ware continued under successive reigns, but it reached particular acclaim during the Hongzhi period, when the glaze was prized for its soft, pure, and even tone, qualities that earned it the refined name of 'tender yellow' (jiaohuang). During the subsequent Zhengde and Jiajing periods, yellow-glazed wares remained modelled on those of the Xuande and Hongzhi reigns. Such pieces were sometimes inscribed with apocryphal marks imitating earlier periods, such as the present lot. Yellow-glazed wares of the Kangxi period typically display a deeper tone compared to those of the 16th century. Differences are also evident in the proportions of the foot rims, with Ming examples generally featuring taller foot rims than their Kangxi counterparts.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related yellow-glazed dish with Chenghua mark, dated Kangxi period, in the Palace Museum, Beijing, reference number 故00147238.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: China Guardian, Beijing, 27 October 1999, lot 932
Price: RMB 52,000 or approx.
EUR 11,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: Yellow glazed dish, Qing dynasty, Kangxi period
Expert remark: Compare the similar glaze, size (22.3 cm), and apocryphal Jiajing mark.
Buyer's Premium
30%
Sale price
Estimate
Time, Location
Auction House
