Scenes of the Battle of the Genji and Heike Clans

The screens show the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani on the right and the Battle of Yashima on the left. According to the museum's commentary, the right screen includes the scene known as the "descent from Hiyodori Pass," in which Minamoto no Yoshitsune moves to strike the Heike camp from the rear, as well as the scene of "the death of Atsumori," with Kumagai no Naozane and Taira no Atsumori. The left screen shows Yoshitsune's troops attacking the camp and the Heike forces fleeing to the sea, facing each other on land and water.

The highlights are the golden clouds that fill the screens, and the intense colors and delicate brushwork that carefully depict even the expression of each soldier. The image shown here is one screen of the pair, and beneath golden clouds it shows many warriors gathered on a beach and numerous ships on a deep blue sea.

Yusetsu was a painter of the early Edo period, born in Kyoto as the heir of Kaiho Yusho in Yusho's later years. Unlike his father's Chinese-style manner, his style is described as decorative and approachable, and he is said to have been skilled in Yamato-e and genre painting as well. The work is color on gold-leaf paper, and each screen is 161.5 cm high and 360.0 cm wide.