Each shallow, thin porcelain dish, formed with rounded sides rising to a slightly flared rim, is decorated with a pattern of three folding-fan motifs radiating from the center of each dish, one with a repeat pattern of florets, one a landscape with figures, and the third with a pair of birds in a riverine setting, the fans primarily in underglaze-blue with details and highlights in red, green and yellow overglaze enamels, with butterflies airborne amongst the fans. The rims are decorated with petal bands in underglaze blue and red-and-green enamels. On the underside are three groups of iron-red berry branches with stems outlined swiftly in black and infilled with green. The shallow foot of each dish has kiln grit adhering.
All the elements of a style produced at Jingdezhen during the early 17th century for the Japanese market are present here. They are referred to in Japan and the West by their Japanese name, ko-aka-e, “old red-decorated” ware, and alternatively as Tenkei aka-e, “Tianqi red-decorated” ware, based on the general period of their production, the Tianqi reign era of 1620 to 1627. Like the ko-sometsuke (“old blue-decorated”) ware contemporaneously produced for Japan, the casual potting, painting, and finish are characteristics cherished by Japanese tea aficionados¬. The Chinese potters also appealed to their clients with décor that would surely pull at their heartstrings, here multitudinous folding fans and their winning designs.