Early examples of hikime-kagibana can be found in the Shotokutaishi-Eden (Illustrated Biography of Prince Shotoku) in Horyu-ji Temple; good examples include persons in the Genji Monogatari Emaki (the Illustrated Handscroll of the Tale of Genji) and in the designs of the Senmen Koshakyo (Ancient Sutra Manuscripts on a Fan).
法隆寺の聖徳太子絵伝にその初期の例を見ることができ、源氏物語絵巻、扇面古写経の下絵の人物などが好例である。