AN IMPERIAL YELLOW-GLAZED BOWLZhengde six-character mark and of the periodFinely potted with deep rounded sides rising from a slightly tapering foot to a gently flaring rim, covered overall in a glaze of rich egg yolk-yellow tone.18.2cm (7 1/8in) diam.Provenance: 明正德 嬌黃釉碗青花「大明正德年製」楷書款Provenance:An important Asian private collection來源:重要亞洲私人收藏During the Ming dynasty, yellow-glazed porcelains were usually not allowed to be produced other than at the Imperial kilns at Jingdezhen, among which pieces produced during the Hongzhi and Zhengde reigns were of the finest quality in terms of glazing and colour.Yellow-glazed wares such as the present lot are believed to have been produced for use at the Imperial Court, although a small number have reached other Royal collections and were possibly given as Imperial gifts; see for example a pair of bowls, Zhengde marks and of the period, in the Ottoman Royal Collection, illustrated by R.Krahl,Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, London, 1986, vol.2, p.448, pl.775. A similar bowl is illustrated by J.Ayers,Far Eastern Ceramics in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1980, pl.155. A bowl of this type, but of slightly smaller size, formerly in the collection of Lord Cunliffe, is illustrated by R.Krahl,Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection, vol.2, London, 1994, pl.1418.Compare also a similar example sold at Sotheby's London, 10 November 2011, lot 63.黃釉瓷的生產於明清兩代都受宮廷嚴格控制，而明代黃釉瓷又以弘治正德燒製為佳。土耳其伊斯坦布爾托普卡比皇宮舊藏中，亦有一對明正德黃釉碗，見R.Krahl，《Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul》，倫敦，1986年，卷2，頁448，圖版775，作為明代皇宮用器的黃釉碗出現在奧斯曼帝國皇室收藏中，可能隱射明代皇室與奧斯曼蘇丹皇室有所交流。其他例子參看J.Ayers，《Far Eastern Ceramics in the Victoria and Albert Museum》，倫敦，1980年，圖版155。另見英國肯里夫勛爵舊藏一例，尺寸稍小，錄於R.Krahl，《Chinese Ceramics from the Meiyintang Collection》，卷二，倫敦，1994年，圖版1418。倫敦蘇富比曾售出一例亦可資參考，2011年11月10日，拍品63。