Jōkei (sculptor)

Jōkei was a Japanese sculptor of the Kei school, which flourished in the Kamakura period. 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 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. In fact, Jōkei may even have been Kōkei's son, though others call him the son of Unkei. [Paine 110.] Noma 272.] In this capacity, he sculpted works for the reconstruction of the temples Kōfuku-ji and Tōdai-ji 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), carved sometime in the 1090s. The figure stands beside another by Unkei at the Nandaimon in front of the Tōdai-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. [Noma 103.]

The figures of Yuima (Sanskrit: Vimalikirti) and Monju (Sanskrit: Manjushri) 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". [Noma 85.] The work also indicates that Jōkei was familiar with the Buddhist sculpture of Song 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, 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.