East Asia, Japan, Kofun Period, ca. 450 to 600 CE. A fantastic and rare ceramic head with mask-like human features and a conical hat. His eyes and mouth are open, narrow slits, while his nose and eyebrows are in relief. His ears are perforations on the sides of his head, with thick rings made of applied clay hanging below them. At his neck is a round ring suggesting a choker above a flaring "shoulder". He probably once had a full body. The clay used to make this figure and others like it was deliberately course and absorbent, intended to stand the test of time. The hat he wears gives us a clue as to the fashion worn by people during this time period. Size: 6.8" W x 10.5" H (17.3 cm x 26.7 cm)

This form of pottery is known as "haniwa", meaning "clay cylinder" or "circle of clay" in Japanese. These are large, hollow, earthenware funerary objects, which were placed atop large mounded tombs known as "kofun", which means "old tomb" in a circle. The tombs are such a hallmark of this prehistoric time period that researchers call it by their name. This ceramic head is the type of funerary good made to be seen - they were placed to mark the open surfaces of the huge tombs, which were denuded of trees, covered with gravel arranged in artistic designs, and surrounded by moats. Haniwa like this head were made by hand (rather than cast), and the most care in making them was given to human figures like this one and to horses, who were vitally important in this period of mounted warfare.

This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) and has been found to be ancient; if purchased, you will receive a report confirming its age.

Provenance: private Illinois, USA collection

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#126565

Surface wear commensurate with age. Loss to back of hat and small losses around edges. The head is a fragment separated from a larger hollow body.