A very rare and finely painted blue and white 'melon' charger, Ming dynasty, Yongle period | 明永樂 青花纏枝瓜果紋折沿盤

A very rare and finely painted blue and white 'melon' charger,

Ming dynasty, Yongle period

明永樂 青花纏枝瓜果紋折沿盤

sturdily potted with rounded sides rising from a slightly tapered foot to a flat rim with a rolled edge, superbly painted to the interior with a fruiting and flowering melon tree, wreathed by a composite floral scroll bearing rose, chrysanthemum, pomegranate, tree peony, herbaceous peony, lotus and camellia on the cavetto and a band of crested waves on the rim, the exterior with six detached fruiting sprays of cherry, ginkgo, peach, lychee, grape and pomegranate, with the cobalt blue beautifully displaying the characteristic 'heaped and piled' effect, the base unglazed

39.5 cm