This screen portrays softly contoured hills partially shrouded in clouds. In the top left, a Shinto shrine appears to float above the clouds, while, in contrast, the right section of the screen illustrates salt-makers on the shore.

The semi-abstract quality of the deliberately asymmetrical composition and the sumptuous combination of greens and gold are characteristic of Japanese ‘yamato-e’ painting. This style, based on the use of outline and flat colour, had its origins in the literary interests of Japan’s Heian period (794–1185), when themes such as the four seasons and famous scenic places brought a fresh, and distinctively Japanese, inspiration to imagery and creativity.