An egret stands on the sinuous trunk of a willow tree above the waters that surge below. Egrets, grouped with herons under the Japanese term sagi, occur less often in Japanese decorative arts than their ubiquitous cousins the cranes. In Japanese literature, egrets figure in an episode in the medieval Tale of the Heike, which inspired a Noh play called Sagi. In this fable, set during an imperial outing in a garden, the emperor told one of his ministers to call a nearby sagi. At first it flew off, but upon hearing the minister summon it by imperial command, the egret returned, bowing before the emperor, who conferred upon both bird and minister the honor of the Fifth Rank. The sagi's celebratory dance is the focal point of the play. The association of these birds with Noh theater may account for the comparative frequency of Noh costumes patterned with sagi. This textile probably came from such a costume.

The embroidery of the egret comes to life when reflecting the light. Smoothly parallel horizontal strands of white silk anchored with shorter detail stitches constitute the body, while the wings are rendered with long satin stitches that follow the direction of the feathers.