A sense of energy and movement is created by the galloping horses, the humans sailing into view, the rushing of the river, and the sinuous forms of the “dancing pines.” A variety of techniques of gold and silver decoration add to the rich blues and greens.

Screens on the theme of “pines on the shore” were popular during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and are mentioned in contemporary diaries. Although these screens contain no specific indications of a narrative content, the combination of elements—the horses, the distant building, the salt-huts, and the deserted atmosphere—suggests a possible association with Akashi, where Genji was exiled in Chapter Thirteen of the Tale of Genji.