A fine yellow-glazed bowl, Mark and period of Zhengde | 明正德　嬌黃釉盌　《大明正德年製》款

Mayuyama & Co., Ltd, Tokyo, acquired in London.

Chugoku Toji Meihin Ten Ise Korekushon no Shiho / Masterpieces of Chinese Ceramic Art Exhibition, Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art, Ishikawa, 2012, cat. no. 56.

Shika Meisai: Ise Korekushon no Meito / Imperial Colors: Peerless Chinese Porcelains from the Ise Collection, Gotoh Museum, Tokyo, 2015, cat. no. 4.

Ise Korekushon Sekai wo Miryoshita Chugokutoji / The Enchanting Chinese Ceramics from the Ise Collection, Museum of Oriental Ceramics, Osaka, 2017, cat. no. 53.

Chugoku Toji. Ise Korekushon / Chinese Ceramics. The Ise Collection, Tokyo, 2012, p. 69.

Deceptively simple in form and colour, the production of monochrome porcelain such as the present imperial yellow bowl requires the highest level of skill and utmost precision from the purity of the clay, potting, firing to glazing, which entails the application of low-fired yellow lead glaze onto high-fired white-glazed porcelain. The slightest irregularity or smallest imperfection would result in the rejection and destruction of the entire piece. Aptly termed 'imperial yellow', yellow glaze had always been reserved for imperial court use since the introduction of yellow monochrome porcelain at the beginning of the Ming dynasty, though on rare occasions, yellow porcelain wares were also presented as diplomatic gifts to political and religious leaders beyond China. The present bowl is notable for its smooth, even and soft yellow glaze, characteristic of imperial yellow wares of the Zhengde reign (1506–21) and ultimately became one of the most coveted yellow colours of the Ming dynasty after Hongzhi. This aesthetically pleasing shade of yellow was ingeniously achieved through a slight increase in the amount of iron oxide in glaze solution.

來源

繭山龍泉堂，東京，購於倫敦

展覽

《中国陶磁名品展―イセコレクションの至宝》，石川縣立美術館，石川，2012年，編號56

《瓷華明彩―イセコレクションの名陶》，五島美術館，東京，2015年，編號4

《イセコレクション―世界を魅了した中国陶磁》，大阪市立東洋陶瓷美術館，大阪，2017年，編號53

出版

《中国陶磁―イセコレクション》，東京，2012年，頁69

此件御用黃釉盌形制至簡而釉色純然，其製作工藝卻需極高造詣，自胎土提煉、塑形修胚、高溫素燒至低溫黃釉施繪，每道工序皆須精準把控。嘉萬以前，明代御窰品控嚴苛稍有不勻或微瑕，整器即遭砸毀。自明初創燒單色黃釉瓷以來，此類「明黃」器皿向為宮廷專用，僅少數特例作為國禮饋贈域外政教領袖。本品釉色勻凈柔潤，實為正德朝（1506-1521年）御用黃釉典型特徵，其色階較弘治黃釉更添鐵紅調，經匠人調控釉料氧化鐵比例，終成有明一代最令人傾慕的黃釉典範。