Kokei

JAPAN; Heian to Kamakura period

Kokei was a Busshi and the leader of the Kei school of sculpture.The father of acclaimed sculptor Unkei, and teacher of Kaikei and Jokei, he was honored with the titles Hokkyo (Dharma Bridge) and Hogen (Dharma Eye) as a high-ranking Buddhist sculptor. His earliest known work is a statue of Mahadevi, crafted in 1152. In 1177, he worked on sculptures for the five-tier pagoda in Sanjusangendo Temple in Kyoto, and also contributed to the restoration of sculptures at Todaiji Temple and Kofukuji Temple in Nara in 1180. In 1195, Kokei led Unkei and Kaikei in the construction of the Attendant Bodhisattvas and Four Heavenly Kings statues in the Golden Hall of Todaiji Temple.
Kokei’s extant works include Amoghapasa Avalokitesvara, Four Heavenly Kings, and Six Patriarchs of the Hosso School, all of which are kept in the South Octagonal Hall of Kofukuji Temple and were listed as National Treasures. Kokei’s sculptures, carved with incisive skill, appear charming and were regarded as highly innovative and unique works of art during the Kamakura period.