Yellow Glaze

In the Ming period several styles of yellow wares developed that were notable for their achievement of great vibrancy. Yellow monochrome dishes were reserved for the sole use of the imperial court, though some were given as diplomatic gifts. A form introduced in the Xuande period (1425-35), dishes with grounds of yellow enamel contrasting blue floral designs continued to be popular throughout the Ming period. Similarly a traditional style of a combination of yellow overglaze and green enamel dragons over incised lines appears in the Yongle period (1403-24). Contrasting these bright yellow wares, a more amber hue was common as a constituent colour in funerary statues that build on a tradition of funerary attendents from the Tang period. In the Jiajing era (1521-67), monochrome wares were assigned to different temples according to colour with yellow being assigned to the temple of the Earth.