( fl early 7th century). Japanese sculptor. He is associated with the inception of Buddhist image production in Japan and is generally considered to be the first great master of Japanese Buddhist sculpture (see also JAPAN, §V, 3(i)). Tori Busshi is believed to have worked on the most important monumental sculpture of the Asuka period (c. 552–710), the bronze Great Buddha (Jap. Daibutsu) enshrined in the Asukadera (Japan’s first fully fledged temple complex, on the Yamato Plain c. 25 km from Nara). In addition, his name is inscribed on the mandorla of the gilt-bronze Shaka Triad of the Golden Hall (Kondo) at HORYUJI in Nara (623; see JAPAN, fig. 53). He may, however, have operated primarily as a supervisor rather than a craftsman. Scholars usually associate most Asuka period images with his studio, which produced work modelled on the stone sculpture of Chinese Buddhist cave temples of the Northern Wei period (386–535). This is termed Tori style.

• Tori Busshi
  • Japan, §XVIII, 2: Art training and education, before 1868
  • works
    • Horyuji, §2(i): Historical development, before 794
    • Japan, §V, 1(i): Sculpture: Historical overview
    • Japan, §V, 3(i)(a): Buddhist sculpture: Asuka period
    • Japan, §XII, 2(ii): Metalwork: Asuka–Hakuho and Nara periods