The so called 'the best four picture scrolls' are now ascertained by historical evidence to be works of the 12th century, or the later Heian period, which are "Genji Monogatari Emaki," "Ban Dainagon Ekotoba" (Also known as "Ban Dainagon Emaki"), "Shigisan Engi," and "Choju Jinbutsu Giga" (the exception of two scrolls out of four "Choju Jinbutsu Giga" scrolls that are believed to have been made later in the Kamakura period).
一般に「四大絵巻」と称される『源氏物語絵巻』『伴大納言絵詞』『信貴山縁起』『鳥獣人物戯画』はいずれも平安時代末期、12世紀の作と考証されている（『鳥獣人物戯画』4巻のうち2巻の制作時期は鎌倉時代に降る）。