A series of pictures or texts in an emakimono is counted as one 'dan' (section), and, if an emakimono is said to have 'e 4-dan, kotoba 4-dan' (four sections of picture and four sections of text), it means the picture and text will appear alternately four times.
ひと続きの絵、ひと続きの詞を数える単位を「段」といい、絵巻物の説明にたとえば「絵4段、詞4段」とあれば、その絵巻物は絵と詞とが交互に4回ずつ現れるものであることがわかる。