Blue and white shard

This Chenghua (1465-1487) shard, one of seven, with underglaze blue decoration, was recovered from the imperial kiln in Jingdezhen. They comprise sections of bowls, stem cups, and jars. Ceramic pieces that failed to pass the strict quality control of the imperial court were broken to prevent them from being used or copied. These incredibly thinly potted shards were covered with a clear smooth glaze, a measure of the technical brilliance of the potters.