A general term for Buddhist sculptors *busshi 仏師 working in Nara during and after the Kamakura period. Pre-Kamakura Nara sculptors were called *nara busshi 奈良仏師. The first nanto busshi were the *Kei-ha 慶派 based in Kōfukuji 興福寺, Nara. Kei-ha included the sculptors Kōkei 康慶, Unkei 運慶 (?-1223), Kaikei 快慶 and his pupil Eikai 栄快 (mid-13th century) and Kōshun 康俊 (14th century). There are many examples of their work in Kōfukuji, including the Kongō Rikishi 金剛力士 in the Kokuhōkan 国宝館 by Kōkei's pupil Jōkei 定慶, as well as in other Nara temples such as at Tōdaiji 東大寺.
The second important school that formed in the 13th century was the *Zenpa 善派, who were closely associated with Saidaiji 西大寺. Important sculptors associated with this school included Zen'en 善円, Zenkei 善慶 (?-1257), and Zenshun 善春, who made the famous portrait statue of Saidaiji priest Eizon 叡尊 (1280). In the mid and late 14th century *tsubai bussho 椿井仏所, *takama bussho 高間仏所, nobori-ōji bussho 登大路仏所, and fujiyama bussho 富士山仏所 were set up, and in the 16th century *shukuin busshi 宿院仏師 were very active. These workshops continued production until the Edo period.