was a Japanese

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...

of the

Kei school The was a Japanese school (style) of Buddhist sculpture which emerged in the early Kamakura period (c. 1200). Based in Nara, it was the dominant school in Buddhist sculpture in Japan into the 14th century, and remained influential until the 19th. ...

, which flourished in the

Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first '' shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...

. Aside from his artwork, Jōkei left little record of his life, so sorting out the details of his biography is difficult. The fact that two men by that name were working in

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It ...

in the 13th century only complicates matters.Mason 192. Jōkei probably began his career as a disciple of Kōkei, the organizer of the Kei school of sculpture, or of

Unkei Unkei ( ja, 運慶; – 1223) was a Japanese sculptor of the Kei school, which flourished in the Kamakura period. He specialized in statues of the Buddha and other important Buddhist figures. Unkei's early works are fairly traditional, simi ...

. In fact, Jōkei may even have been Kōkei's son, though others call him the son of Unkei.Noma 272. In this capacity, he sculpted works for the reconstruction of the temples

Kōfuku-ji is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples in the city of Nara, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school. History Kōfuku-ji has its origin as a temple that was established in 669 ...

and

Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Japan. Though it was originally founded in the year 738 CE, Tōdai-ji was not opened until the year 752 CE. The temple has undergo ...

in Nara. Jōkei followed the lead of Unkei and others in the Kei school in his pursuit of realism. An early example of this is his ''Guardian King'' (

Niō are two wrathful and muscular guardians of the Buddha standing today at the entrance of many Buddhist temples in East Asian Buddhism in the form of frightening wrestler-like statues. They are dharmapala manifestations of the bodhisattva Vajr ...

), carved sometime in the 1190s. The figure stands beside another by Unkei at the main gateway in front of the Kōfuku-ji. Jōkei's Niō is nude to the waist, exposing a tense musculature. The veins in the neck and head are engorged, only heightening the figure's expression of rage. The pose is action-ortiented, as if the king is in the midst of a fight. The figures of

Yuima Vimalakīrti ( sa, विमल ' "stainless, undefiled" + ' "fame, glory, reputation") is the central figure in the ', which presents him as the ideal Mahayana Buddhist upāsaka ("lay practitioner") and a contemporary of Gautama Buddha (6th to ...

(

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...

Vimalakirti Vimalakīrti ( sa, विमल ' "stainless, undefiled" + ' "fame, glory, reputation") is the central figure in the ', which presents him as the ideal Mahayana Buddhist upāsaka ("lay practitioner") and a contemporary of Gautama Buddha (6th to ...

) and Monju (Sanskrit:

Manjushri Mañjuśrī (Sanskrit: मञ्जुश्री) is a ''bodhisattva'' associated with '' prajñā'' (wisdom) in Mahāyāna Buddhism. His name means "Gentle Glory" in Sanskrit. Mañjuśrī is also known by the fuller name of Mañjuśrīkumāra ...

) in the East '' kōndō'' of Kōfuku-ji also show Jōkei's interpretation of the Kei aesthetic. The debate between these two men had been the subject of earlier Japanese sculpture, but Jōkei's depiction is different and subject to interpretation. Some see his Yuima as strong and healthy, while others view the figure as aged and ill in keeping with his description in the '' Vimalikirtinirdesha Sutra''. The work also indicates that Jōkei was familiar with the

Buddhist sculpture Buddhist art is visual art produced in the context of Buddhism. It includes depictions of Gautama Buddha and other Buddhas and bodhisattvas, notable Buddhist figures both historical and mythical, narrative scenes from their lives, mandalas, and ...

Song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetiti ...

China. His Yuima sits on a pedestal, which is decorated with an elaborately carved lion. The sculpture's high wooden backing, carved to look as if it is covered in cloth, is another Chinese element.Mason 193. An inscription inside the chest portion of the work says that Jōkei worked on it in 1196 for 53 days. It lists

Kōen Kōen ( Japanese: 康円; c. 12071285) was a Japanese Buddhist sculptor ( busshi) of the Kei school in Nara during the Kamakura period. A grandson of the sculptor Unkei, and apprenticed by his uncle Tankei, he carried on the Kei school during ...

, possibly his son,Paine 113. as the artist who did the coloration.

Notes

References

* Mason, Penelope (2005). ''History of Japanese Art''. 2nd ed, rev. by Dinwiddie, Donald. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education Inc. * Noma, Seiroku (2003). ''The Arts of Japan: Ancient and Medieval''. Kodansha International. * Paine, Robert Treat, and Soper, Alexander (1981). ''The Art and Architecture of Japan''. 3rd ed. Penguin Books Ltd. {{DEFAULTSORT:Jokei Japanese Buddhists Japanese sculptors