China. Delicately potted with shallow rounded sides rising from a short tapered foot to a gently everted rim. Covered overall with a thin glaze of a rich egg yolk-yellow color pooling slightly to a darker tone towards the foot. The recessed base left white and with an underglaze-blue six-character kaishu mark da Ming Jiajing nianzhi within a double circle and of the period.

Provenance: Bluett & Sons, London, United Kingdom, 5 January 1968. The John E. Bodie OBE (1930-2023) Collection of Chinese Art, no. 21, acquired from the above, and thence by descent. The base with an old label from Bluett & Sons and another from John E. Bodie OBE, London, collection no.21. Copies of a Bluett & Sons insurance certificate dated 6 June 1968 and the original signed invoice dated 5 January 1968, both confirming the dating above, accompany this lot (note that both documents have been redacted for reasons of privacy and GDPR compliance).

• Bluett & Sons was an important dealer of Chinese works of art, founded by brothers Leonard and Edgar Bluett and later continued by Leonard’s son Roger Bluett, who was president of the British Antique Dealers’ Association, of which his father and uncle were founding members in 1919. Roger Bluett was also Chairman of the Grosvenor House Antiques, first Chairman of the ceramics course at West Dean and first Chairman of the Museum of East Asian Art, Bath.
• John manuel Bodie OBE (1930-2023) was a partner of the property development agents DE & J Levy and played a leading role in the London property boom in the 1960s. He was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s 2002 Birthday Honors for his charitable services. Bodie was also a long-time friend of Margaret Thatcher, who he had worked alongside before, during, and after her time as Prime Minister. He began to collect Imperial Chinese porcelain during the later 1960s, constantly improving his knowledge by frequently visiting the auction rooms of Christie’s and Sotheby’s, where he met and befriended now-famed dealers Roger Bluett and William Clayton. Of the former, he wrote: “He was immensely scholarly and a very gentle person who took much pleasure in imparting his abundant knowledge to me.”

Condition: Superb condition with only minor old wear, light surface scratches, and firing flaws including dark spots.

Weight: 110 g
Dimensions: Diameter 12.7 cm

Of all the monochrome glazes, yellow holds a special significance due to its direct association with Imperial patronage. Characterized by a seemingly simplistic form and color, the present dish stands amongst the most technically demanding porcelain wares ever crafted. Achieving perfection in potting, glazing, and firing was imperative, as even the slightest flaw could lead to the piece being discarded. The 'Imperial yellow' glaze, made by infusing ferric oxide into the lead silicate base, was produced at the Imperial kilns in Jingdezhen throughout the Ming dynasty. Yellow-glazed dishes of this type with Jiajing marks have been found crafted in graduated dimensions, with the present lot being of a rather rare size.

Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related yellow-glazed dish, also with a Jiajing mark and of the period, 16.2 cm diameter, in the British Museum, registration number PDF.536.

Auction result comparison:
Type: Near-identical
Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 17 March 2015, lot 261
Price: USD 40,000 or approx. EUR 49,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A small yellow-glazed dish, Jiajing mark and period
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form and egg-yolk yellow glaze pooling slightly to a darker tone towards the foot, and note the almost identical size (12.8 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie’s New York, 23 March 2012, lot 1980
Price: USD 56,250 or approx. EUR 71,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A pair of yellow-glazed saucer dishes, Jiajing six-character marks in underglaze blue within double circles and of the period (1522-1566)
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, egg yolk-yellow glaze, and reign mark. Note the different size (16.5 cm).

Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Sotheby’s London, 8 November 2017, lot 65
Price: GBP 56,250 or approx. EUR 93,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: A yellow-glazed dish, Jiajing mark and period
Expert remark: Compare the closely related form, egg yolk-yellow glaze, and reign mark. Note the much larger size (21.5 cm).