School of Japanese specialists in Buddhist painting (ebusshi), which flourished from the late Heian (AD 794-1185) to early Muromachi (1333-1568) periods. It rivalled the KOSE SCHOOL of ebusshi in Nara, specialists in refined, decorative Buddhist painting. The school was supposedly founded in the 11th century by Takuma Tamenari ( fl c. 1053), the artist to whom wall paintings at the Byodoin are attributed by legend. Takuma Tameto ( fl c. 1132-74), a priest with connections to the aristocracy and to the monastic community on Mt Koya, is also associated with the genesis of the school. His Kontai Butsuga cho ('Album of Buddhist paintings in dark and light colours'), an album of Buddhist iconographic drawings (Nara, Yamato Bunkakan, and other collections), offers an important early example of the ebusshi's method. Tameto's sons, Takuma Tametoki ( fl mid-12th century), (1) Takuma Shoga and Takuma Tamehisa ( fl 1184), established the Takuma school as an important force in Kamakura-period (1185-1333) Buddhist painting, by infusing their work with a new naturalism and incorporating stylistic elements of Chinese Song- period (AD 960-1279) painting (see CHINA,
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