A RARE MING YELLOW-GLAZED 'DRAGON' BOWL
A RARE MING YELLOW-GLAZED 'DRAGON' BOWL

Details
A RARE MING YELLOW-GLAZED 'DRAGON' BOWL
HONGZHI SIX-CHARACTER MARK WITHIN DOUBLE-CIRCLES AND OF THE PERIOD (1488-1505)

The rounded sides rising to a slightly everted rim, incised on the interior medallion with a dragon amidst flames and cloud-scrolls, the exterior with two further striding dragons, all covered with a glaze of egg-yolk yellow tone with exception of the slightly convex base inscribed with the mark and covered with a transparent glaze
6 1/4 in. (15.9 cm.) diam., box

Lot Essay

Yellow-glazed wares were reserved for the exclusive use of the emperor and their production at Jingdezhen was under official orders.

The present bowl is unusual as it is rare to find yellow-glazed wares with incised dragon designs. Most monochrome bowls and dishes do not have further decoration. Cf. a number of yellow-glazed Hongzhi-marked bowls, one from the Qing court collection, illustrated in Monochrome Porcelain, The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 138; and another from the Percival David Foundation, illustrated by D. Lion-Goldschmidt, La Porcelaine Ming, Fribourg, 1978, p. 111, pl. 93. Three yellow-glazed dishes are in the British Museum, illustrated by J. Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, pp. 185-186, pls. 7:18-20.

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