A FINE PAIR OF LEMON-YELLOW DISHES MARKS AND PERIOD OF YONGZHENG

each with shallow sides rising from a short foot to an everted rim, applied overall with a brilliant lemon-yellow enamel, the white-glazed base inscribed in underglaze blue with a six-character reign mark within a double-circle

Hosokawa Morisada Collection ten II – Shinno jiki, Persia no touki [Morisada Hosokawa Collection exhibition II – Qing porcelains and Persian ceramics], Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art, Kumamoto, 1993, cat. no. 47.

Morisada Hosokawa, Mokumei goshiki: Shinchō jiki [Bewildering colours: Qing Dynasty porcelains], Tokyo, 1992, no. 24.

The overall condition of the pair is very good, with only a few faint original body lines to the bases. The tones of the two dishes are slightly different. The colour of the catalogue illustration is slightly more tinged with green than the actual objects. The tones of the two dishes are slightly different. The colour of the catalogue illustration is slightly more tinged with green than the actual objects.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

‘Lemon-yellow’ enamelled ware, introduced in the 18th century under the Yongzheng emperor, is usually found only on cups and dishes of small size due to the difficulties of producing an even tone. Known as ningmeng huang in Chinese, this opaque enamel was created by using lead antimonite to result in a bright yellow. As wares covered in the warmer ‘imperial yellow’ glaze played an important part in court ritual sacrifices and were governed by court sumptuary laws from as early as the 15th century, the alternative lemon-yellow enamel was able to be used on innovative forms, such as the present flared dishes.

A closely related pair of dishes from the T.Y. Chao collection was included in the exhibitions Ch’ing Porcelain from the Wah Kwong Collection, The Art Institute, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 1973, cat. no. 38, and One Hundred Selected Pieces of Chingtechen Porcelain of the Ming and Ch’ing Dynasties from the Collection of the T.Y. Chao Family Foundation, Hong Kong Museum of Art, Hong Kong, 1978, cat. no. 54, and sold in these rooms, 19th May 1987, lot 282; and another pair, from the Sir Percival David collection and now in the British Museum, London, is illustrated in Margaret Medley, Illustrated Catalogue of Ming and Qing Monochrome, London, 1989, pls B541 and B542. See also a pair of dishes, from the G.P. Fitzgerald collection, sold in our London rooms, 10th July 1979, lot 199; and a further pair included in the Japan Ceramic Society(Tokai Shibu) exhibition Chugoku shinchou toji meihin ten [Exhibition of Chinese ceramic masterpieces from the Qing dynasty], Tokugawa Art Museum, Nagoya, 1953,  and sold in these rooms, 5th October 2011, lot 2009.