Imperial Yellow Bowl Qianlong Mark and of Period

Qianlong period (1736-1795)

The finely potted bowl with cyma-shaped sides and with everted rim, raised on a slightly tapered foot rim, the interior and exterior with egg yolk-yellow glaze, the recessed base glazed white and inscribed with a six-character seal mark in underglaze blue.

Notes: Sumptuary laws during the Qianlong and other reigns stated these wares could only be owned and used by the Emperor, the Empress or widow Dowager with glazed yellow on both the interior and exterior. This hue owes its color to the low amount of iron oxide present.

Notes: An extremely similar bowl of the same size and proportions and bearing a sea mark possibly by the same Qianlong period craftsman at Jindezheng, was offered at Sotheby's Important Chinese Art, September 11, 2019, Lot 638, sold for $52,500 and slightly smaller examples have sold at Sotheby's, 1st-2nd April 1974, lot 266, and 4th December 1984, lot 357.

H. 3 1/4 in., D. 7 1/4 in.

Provenance: Skinner's Boston

Condition: 1 1/2 in. long vertical hairline and contiguous 2 in. diagonal tight hairline.