Japan, Kofun period, ca. 3rd to 6th century CE. A rare haniwa figure created for ritual use by the Japanese of the Kofun period. The ancient Japanese artisans surmounted unglazed terracotta cylinders with hollow sculptural forms that represented a wide range of forms - warriors, female attendants, birds, animals, boats, houses, and in this case, a dancer. Haniwa were created via the wasumi technique; artisans painstakingly built up mounds of coiled clay, layer by layer, to form the figure. The artisans also embellished these special pieces with intricate detailing; note the countless incised lines on the surface of this piece! Such figures would have been arranged around a mounded tomb of a Japanese elite individual. Not only did haniwa figures mark the location of a burial site, they also possessed great symbolism as they signified eternal service to the deceased in the afterworld and oftentimes depicted an activity enjoyed by the deceased, in this case dancing. Haniwa possess a distinct style that is simple, elegant, and direct - meant to immediately connote a specific activity. In addition, since these figures were placed on top of a tomb rather than inside of it, the artists intentionally employed an exaggerated style where the figures possess almost pantomime-like gestures that can be "read" from a distance. This example is a bold form that demonstrates such exaggerated gestures and also speaks of the artisan's embrace of geometry, one that modern artists such as Shojiro Ishibashi would admire for its "Pure Art" minimalist aesthetic centuries later. A thermoluminescence report for this piece dates it to be 1400 years old +/- 20%. Ancient, rare, and beautiful! 18-1/2" H.

Provenance: Prominent Hawaiian Collection

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Professionally restored. Losses to appendages and arms as shown.