Kōkei (sculptor)

Kōkei was a direct descendant, both genetically and artistically, of Jōchō, a master sculptor of the Heian period.

[2] Today, Kōkei is best known for leading teams involved in the 1188–1189 reconstruction of the Tōdai-ji and Kōfuku-ji, temples in Nara, Japan.

[3] First-hand details of Kōkei's talent and personality come from the diary of Kujō Kanezane, who became the Fujiwara chieftain in 1186, and thus took over as supervisor of the temple reconstructions.

[3] For example, Kōkei's Fukūkenjaku Kannon follows Jōchō's canon of proportions: widely spread legs provide a base for a triangular figure with a square-shaped face.

He uses crystal inlays to give a more lifelike sheen to the Kannon's eyes and byakugo (Sanskrit: urna).