The Guardians of the Nandaimon
Two colossal guardians at the Great South Gate of Tōdai-ji, made by Unkei, Kaikei and their workshop in just 69 days. One has an open mouth, the other a closed one – the beginning and the end.
The muscles, the veins and the fluttering garments – all in wood.
The temple of Tōdai-ji in Nara burned in 1180 during the civil war between the Taira and Minamoto clans. The rebuilding was led by the monk Chōgen, who raised funds throughout the country. The Great South Gate, the Nandaimon, was rebuilt in 1199 in a new style with Chinese influences. In 1203 the gate received two colossal guardian figures, kongōrikishi or niō, which were to protect the temple against evil forces.
The figures were made by the sculptors Unkei and Kaikei together with assistants from the Kei school, a workshop that shaped sculpture in the Kamakura period. According to contemporary sources, the work took only 69 days. This was possible because many workers could work in parallel on different parts. Who made which figure has been debated, and the inscriptions found inside the figures have provided new information but have not resolved every question.
Each figure is about 8.4 metres tall. They stand in separate niches on either side of the gate’s central passage. One, Agyō, has an open mouth; the other, Ungyō, a closed one. The two sounds, a and un, are the first and last of the Sanskrit alphabet and symbolise the beginning and the end – everything that exists. Both are half-naked and wear fluttering cloth around their hips. They stand in dramatic poses with one arm raised, tensed muscles and wrathful faces.
The composition is designed to be seen from below. From the ground the figures tower above, their wrathful faces glaring down at the visitor. They are positioned to face the passage, and the visitor must walk between them. This creates a powerful sense of crossing a threshold and entering a sacred precinct.
The figures are made of wood using a technique called yosegi-zukuri, in which thousands of pieces of wood are joined together. This made it possible to work quickly and to build figures of such size. They were originally painted, but most of the paint has disappeared and the wood has darkened. During a major restoration in 1988–1993 the figures were taken apart, and documents and inscriptions were found inside confirming who had taken part in the work.
The figures have been interpreted as an expression of the realism of the Kamakura period. The sculptors of the Kei school studied older sculpture from the Nara period but gave their figures a new vitality, with pronounced muscles, veins and powerful movement. The warrior class’s rise to power in the country has often been seen as a background to the dramatic style.
Today the figures are National Treasures and part of the Nara World Heritage Site. They are among the best-known sculptures in Japan. Unkei is regarded as one of the country’s greatest sculptors, and his name is associated with a renewal of Japanese sculpture.