Porcelain bowl with yellow glaze, Ming dynasty, Zhengde mark and period (1506-21), Jingdezhen, China. Diameter: 17.8 cm. Cappel Bequest. Museum number: C.51-1936. Victoria & Albert Museum © V&A Images

The colour of this bowl is a fine example of 'imperial yellow' monochrome. Yellow glazes, obtained with the addition of iron oxide, were used in China during the Tang dynasty (618-907) to decorate funerary figures. But the best results in this tonality were achieved on monochrome vessels produced for the imperial court in the kilns of Jingdezhen from the Ming dynasty (1366-1644) onward.

This bowl was first fired with a transparent glaze, and then covered with a yellow glaze and re-fired at a lower temperature.