Jōkei

Who is Jōkei?

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.

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. 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, 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.