This imposing pair of six-panel byōbu, richly embellished with gold-leaf grounds, presents complex episodes of samurai combat in the musha-e (warrior painting) tradition, prominent during the Edo period. While the dramatic martial imagery may at first suggest a generic rendering of the Genpei War (1180–1185), closer iconographic analysis reveals a more nuanced narrative centered on intra-clan conflict within the Minamoto (Genji) lineage, diverging from the conventional dichotomy between the Minamoto and Taira clans.

The right screen, in its lower register, appears to depict Kajiwara Kagesue and Sasaki Takatsuna crossing the dismantled Uji Bridge, referencing the Battle of Ujigawa (1184), though the presence of Minamoto no Yoshinaka on the opposing bank introduces a narrative complication. The left screen features a compelling scene in the upper register: a woman in armor, identified as Shizuka Gozen, wields a long sword in defense against torch-bearing assailants during a night attack—a composition evocative of the Night Attack at Horikawa (1185). In this historical episode, Shizuka Gozen, the concubine of Minamoto no Yoshitsune, resists an attack ordered by Minamoto no Yoritomo, suggesting that the screen emphasizes tensions internal to the Genji clan rather than the broader Genpei conflict. As such, the traditional title of this pair may be considered misleading in light of the subject matter.

Formally, the screens demonstrate hallmarks of mid Edo-period composition: sweeping narrative landscapes, dynamic figure groupings, and the use of abstract gold clouds and negative space to structure the pictorial field. The rendering of armor, banners, and architectural elements—such as the foreshortened veranda of a wooden mansion—exhibits a high level of technical refinement, while individualized facial features and careful spatial organization suggest production by a highly skilled workshop, possibly linked stylistically to the Kanō school, though no signature is present.