ZHENGDE SIX-CHARACTER MARKS IN UNDERGLAZE BLUE WITHIN DOUBLE CIRCLES AND OF THE PERIOD (1506-1521)

The deep, rich yellow glaze of the present pair of dishes is characteristic of imperial yellow wares of the Zhengde reign, achieved through a precise increase in the proportion of iron oxide within the glaze. Such wares were manufactured for the use within imperial court. Related examples of Zhengde-marked yellow-glazed dishes are preserved in major institutions and private collections worldwide, including one in the Palace Museum, Beijing, illustrated in The Complete Collection of Treasures of the Palace Museum, Monochrome Porcelain, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 41; and another in the British Museum, London, illustrated in Jessica Harrison-Hall, Ming Ceramics in the British Museum, London, 2001, pl. 8:28.

The present lot is distinctive for their slightly smaller diameter; related examples are more commonly measured approx. 18 to 20 cm. Among the several examples in the National Palace Museum collection, Taipei, one of nearly identical in size to present pair is collection no.: guci016163N (fig. 1). For further comparison, see a larger yellow-glazed dish, formerly in the Tsai I-Ming, the Leshantang Collection, sold at Sotheby’s Hong Kong, 8 October 2023, lot 138.