Tankei

A Buddhist sculptor of the Kei school in the Kamakura period. Unkei's eldest son, he was appointed a Hoin in 1213 (Kenryaku 3) and played an active role as the leader of the Kei school after his father's death. His works lack the boldness of Unkei, but they are refined and gentle in expression, and are characterized by their solid expression. From a young age, he followed his father in the restoration and construction of Kofuku-ji and Todai-ji temples in Nara, and also created statues at To-ji, Hossho-ji, Daigo-ji, Kosan-ji, and Koyasan, among others. In his later years, he became the chief sculptor for the construction of the 1,000 Thousand-Armed Kannon statues at Renge-o-in (Sanjusangendo), and completed the central statue of the Thousand-Armed Kannon seated statue in 1254 (Kencho 6). This statue still exists along with several of the 1,000 Kannon statues bearing Tankei's inscription. The Bishamonten Triad at Sekkei-ji Temple in Kochi City (date unknown, thought to have been made in his later years as a Buddhist priest) is also one of his few remaining works. He passed away at the age of 84 in the 8th year of Kencho (1266), while the Buddha statue at Rengeo-in Temple was still incomplete.

[Akio Sato]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鎌倉時代の慶派の仏師。運慶の長男で、1213年（建暦3）に法印に叙せられ、父亡きあとの慶派を主宰して活躍した。彼の作は運慶の豪快さには欠けるが、洗練された温和な表現をとっており、手堅い表現が特色である。若年より父に従って奈良の興福寺および東大寺の復興・造像に携わったのをはじめ、東寺、法勝(ほっしょう)寺、醍醐(だいご)寺、高山寺、高野山(こうやさん)などで造像し、晩年蓮華(れんげ)王院（三十三間堂）千体千手観音(せんじゅかんのん)造立の主宰仏師となり、1254年（建長6）には中尊の千手観音坐像(ざぞう)を完成した。これは湛慶在銘の千体観音中の数体とともに現存している。また高知市雪蹊(せっけい)寺の毘沙門天(びしゃもんてん)三尊像（年代不詳。法印時代の晩年の作と思われる）も数少ない遺作の一つである。建長(けんちょう)8年、蓮華王院造仏が未完成のうちに84歳で没した。

［佐藤昭夫］

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