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 sc ...

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 History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...

. 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 agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...

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 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, similar in style to pieces by his fathe ...

. 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. It is part of Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, a World Heritage Site. H ...

and

Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Nanto Shichi Daiji, Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Nara, Nara, Japan. The construction of the temple was an attempt to imitate Chinese temples from the much-admir ...

in Nara. Jōkei followed the lead of Unkei and others in the Kei school in his pursuit of

realism Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *American Realism *Classical Realism *Liter ...

. 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 Vajra ...

), 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 (

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

Vimalakirti Vimalakīrti ( ' "stainless, undefiled" + ' "fame, glory, reputation") is a bodhisattva and the central figure in the ',Manjushri Manjushri () is a ''bodhisattva'' who represents '' prajñā'' (transcendent wisdom) of the Buddhas in Mahāyāna Buddhism. The name "Mañjuśrī" is a combination of Sanskrit word " mañju" and an honorific " śrī"; it can be literally transla ...

) 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, ...

Song A song is a musical composition performed by the human voice. The voice often carries the melody (a series of distinct and fixed pitches) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs have a structure, such as the common ABA form, and are usu ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. 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, 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