Lot 1867. A fine large imperial yellow-enamelled bowl, Kangxi six-character mark within double-circles and of the period (1662-1722); 12 3/8 in. (31.4 cm.) diam. Estimate HKD 1,500,000 - HKD 2,000,000. Price realised HKD 1,820,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2010

The deep bowl of unusually large size with elegantly rounded sides and flaring rim supported on a sturdy footrim, all under a pale yellow enamel of egg-yolk tone, pooling slightly at the foot, box.

Provenance: The Hall Family Collection, no. 110
Collection of Mrs William van Horne, Montreal, Canada
Previously sold at Sotheby's Hong Kong, 2 May 2000, lot 526.

Exhibited: Messrs. Marchant & Son, London, Recent Acquisitions 2008, illustrated in the Catalogue, no. 32.

Note: Kangxi bowls of this large size are very rare, especially those covered with imperial yellow enamel. The rich imperial yellow enamel became established on porcelain vessels in the early Ming, but there are few surviving examples.

In both the Ming and Qing dynasties this yellow enamel was either applied directly to the pre-fired body or on top of a high-fired glaze. The former method, as seen on the current bowl, typically gave a richer, warmer, colour, while the latter gave an even, slightly fluid, appearance. Porcelains such as the current vessel, which are completely covered with yellow enamel are particularly prized because, according to Qing regulations, only the emperor, empress or dowager empress could use vessels which were yellow both inside and out. Members of the court who were of lesser rank had to use combinations of colours appropriate to their station.

Yellow bowls were not only made for normal use in the Palace, they were also required for rituals conducted by the Emperor at the Diqitan, the Altar of Earth. It is possible that this bowl was intended for that purpose, since large bowls are shown on imperial altars in the diagrams of ritual vessels included in the Da Ming Huidian (The Collected Statutes of the Ming Empire) published in 1587. Although the diagrams show the layout of ritual vessels on the altars in the Ming period, similar large bowls would also have been used in Qing ceremonies.

For similar bowls of this size compare one illustrated by J. Ayers, The Baur Collection, Geneva, 1972, vol. 3, no. A446; another illustrated by R. Krahl, Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, London 1994, vol. 2, p. 230, no. 893; and one in the Wang Xing Lou Collection, illustrated in Imperial Perfection, The Palace Porcelain of Three Chinese Emperors, Hong Kong, 2004, no. 91. Yellow-enamelled bowls were also made in a slightly larger size (37.5 cm. diam.). A pair of bowls of this larger size is illustrated in Catalogue of Ming and Qing Monochrome Wares in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, London, 1989, p. 33, nos. A522 a & b.