Yen trend - Ensei

Japanese: 円勢 - えんせい

Year of death: 21st February 1135 (5th February 1135)
Year of birth: Unknown. A Buddhist sculptor of the En school in the late Heian period. Said to be the son or disciple of Nagase. Mainly active in Kyoto, this lineage was called the En school because after Ensei, many Buddhist sculptors had names beginning with the character "en" (the beginning of the En school). In 1083, he was appointed Hokkyo for the Buddha statue made at Hosho-ji Temple, and thereafter played a leading role in the central world of Buddhist statue making after Nagase's death, making Buddha statues at Gion Pagoda, Toba Mido, Sonsho-ji, Koyasan Daito, Hojo-ji, and Shirakawa Shin Amida-do. In 1101, in addition to making Buddha statues, he was also appointed Hokan for painting pillar pictures at Toba Mido, suggesting that he was also skilled in painting, and in the 4th year of the same year, he rose to the highest rank of Hoin for the Buddha statue made at Sonsho-ji Temple. He also aspired to become the head priest of Kiyomizu-dera Temple, and was appointed in 1113, but was forced to give up the idea due to opposition from Kofuku-ji Temple, which shows his ambitious side and also indicates the rising social status of Buddhist sculptors at that time. The Yakushi Nyorai Danzo, the principal image of the former Hokuin temple of Ninna-ji Temple, which was discovered recently, is a valuable example of a Buddha statue created in 1545 by Ensei leading Choen. <References> Tani Shinichi, "A Study of Ensei Hoin - A Part of the Study of Wooden Buddhist Sculptors" (Bijutsu Kenkyu, No. 30), Ito Shiro, "On the Yakushi Nyorai Danzo, the principal image of the former Hokuin temple of Ninna-ji Temple" (Buddhist Art, No. 177)

(Kazuharu Asai)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：長承3.閏12.21(1135.2.5)
生年：生年不詳
平安後期の円派系仏師。長勢の子,または弟子と伝えられる。主に京都で活躍し,円勢以後「円」の字がつく仏師が多いことから,この系統は円派と呼ばれた(円派の始まり)。永保3(1083)年に法勝寺の造仏により法橋に任じられ,以後,祇園塔,鳥羽御堂,尊勝寺,高野山大塔,法成寺,白川新阿弥陀堂の造仏など,長勢没後の中央造仏界で指導的役割をはたした。康和3(1101)年には,鳥羽御堂において,造仏のほか柱絵を描いて法眼に叙されていることから,絵画にも長じていたと推測され,同4年の尊勝寺の造仏では,仏師として最高位の法印にまで上った。また清水寺の別当職を望み,永久1(1113)年に補任されたが,興福寺側の反対にあって断念せざるを得なかった事実は,彼の野心家としての一面を物語るとともに,当時の仏師の社会的地位の向上も示している。近年見出された仁和寺旧北院本尊の薬師如来檀像は,康和5年に円勢が長円を率いて造仏した貴重な作例である。<参考文献>谷信一「円勢法印考―木仏師研究の一節とし―」(『美術研究』30号),伊東史朗「仁和寺旧北院本尊・薬師如来檀像について」(『仏教芸術』177号)

(浅井和春)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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