Yi Xingmo

CHINA, Zhejiang, Ningbo; Kamakura period

Yi Xingmo, also known as Ingyomatsu, was a stonemason who was originally from Mingzhou, Zhejiang (present day Ningbo), but was later naturalized as a Japanese citizen. Alongside Chen Heqing and Chen Foshou of China, he was invited to assist in the rebuilding of Todaiji Temple in Nara, Japan. Yi undertook the construction of the stone altar in the Great Buddha Hall, as well as the four surrounding corridors.
His most notable works are listed as Important Cultural Properties of Japan; these include a pair of sandstone Guardian Lions at the door of the south gate of Todaiji Temple, which he built in 1196. Including their stone podiums, the lions measure 250 cm in height. He also chiseled a 13.6 m high statue of Maitreya Bodhisattva on the side of a cliff near Onoji Temple in Nara. In addition, the tallest extant stone pagoda in Japan is the 1.4 m high thirteen-tier pagoda at Hannyaji Temple in Nara that was built by Ingyomatsu in 1253. After his passing, his legacy continued through the works of his descendants, becoming a distinct style of stone craftsmanship.