A rare massive 'Longquan' celadon 'loquats' charger
Ming dynasty, 15th century

This charger is impressive for its spectacular large size and the rare finely carved design of a leafy loquat tree within radiating flowering sprays. It belongs to a group of high quality Longquan celadon wares produced in the late 14th to early 15th centuries that were characterized by their bold carved designs that are comparable with the blue and white porcelain being produced at the time. During the early Ming dynasty, the Longquan kilns appear to have worked closely with the imperial porcelain kilns at Jingdezhen, making wares of similar form, decoration and quality.

Compare with two chargers depicting fruiting peach trees in the central medallion, published in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, 1986, vol. 1, p. 301, no. 237; a charger of similar large size and form also decorated with a fruiting loquat tree, sold Christie's Hong Kong, 30 November 2011, lot 3011; see also a charger decorated with a flower head surrounded by a lotus meander on the interior, published in Regina Krahl, Chinese Ceramics in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul, 1986, vol.1, pl. 245; one decorated with a central peony medallion encircled with Indian lotus sprigs on the interior, sold Sotheby's New York, 20 March 2012, lot 39; and a dish with a tree peony in the central medallion, sold Sotheby's Hong Kong, 8 October 2013, lot 221. An undecorated charger of this form and size is illustrated in Chinese Ceramics from the Idemitsu Collection, Tokyo, 1987, pl. 595; and one from the Meiyintang Collection Part II, sold Sotheby's Hong Kong, 5 October 2011, lot 7.