Kofun Period (ca. 3rd century–538)

Kofun Period (ca. 3rd century–538)

 

 

 Bracelet, Kofun period (ca. 3rd century–538), 4th century
Japan
Steatite

 

This irregular disk with smooth radial fluting is a fine example of a type of carved stone object found in the keyhole-shaped burial mounds of central Japan from the fourth and fifth centuries. Works in this shape are called sharinseki (carriage-wheel stones) and are sometimes identified as stone bracelets. They seem, however, to be talismans with magical or religious significance. They do not appear in burials of the later Kofun period; perhaps their special meaning faded with the influx of Chinese and subsequently Buddhist culture that began in the sixth century.

 

 

Haniwa boar, Kofun period (ca. 3rd century–538), 5th century
Japan
Earthenware

 

This poignant figure of a dead infant boar shows the variety and range of ｅxpression achieved by the makers of haniwa figures. Although the reason for making this image is unknown, the large snout, curled body, and bound limbs of this small animal are the result of subtle observation and skillful hands.

The practice of building sepulchral earthen mounds and burying treasures with the dead was transmitted to Japan from the continent around the third century A.D. and caused a significant change in burial customs. The bodies of the dead were interred in large wooden coffins placed in the tomb chambers. Buried with the deceased were such items as bronze mirrors, tools, weapons, personal ornaments, horse decorations, and clay vessels. The outer part of the burial mounds was lined with stones. Haniwa, sometimes numbering in the thousands, were placed in rows at the base and scattered on the crest of the knolls or on the sloping sides of the mounds.

 

 

Helmet, 5th century; Kofun period
Japanese
Iron, covered with copper-gilt

 

This rare, early Japanese helmet was excavated in Ise Province, Mie Prefecture. The type of construction—horizontal rings to which rectangular scales are riveted—was probably imported from China or Korea. Most helmets of this type were made of iron, but some, of gilt copper, were probably for ceremonial display. This example is unusual in combining both materials.

 

 

Bust of a warrior, Kofun period (ca. 3rd century–538), 5th–6th century
Kanto region, Japan
Earthenware with painted, incised, and applied decoration

 

Formally attired in a breastplate and studded metal helmet, this haniwa (circle of clay) bust of a warrior vividly attests to the world of early Japan. Boldly potted from fragile earthenware, his broad face, triangular nose, and the oval perforations for his eyes and mouth evoke an impassive resolve. The earliest haniwa, dating to the late third century A.D., were simple clay cylinders. Houses and animals as well as ceremonial and other objects appeared in the late fourth century, while figural haniwa were created in the fifth, sixth, and seventh centuries. The traces of red paint found on this figure indicate that it was made in the Kanto region (around Tokyo).

Haniwa were placed at the top of the burial mound, in the center, along the edges, and at the entrance of the burial chamber of enormous tombs constructed for the ruling elite during the Tumulus, or Kofun (ca. 3rd century–538), period. These tombs were generally covered with large mounds of earth and were often shaped like keyholes and surrounded by moats. Keyhole-shaped tombs spread throughout Japan from the Kansai (Osaka-Nara-Kyoto) region. Their diffusion is often understood to reflect a parallel spread of political power as Japan, which had been divided into a series of loosely related domains, was gradually organized into a unified state with a central government. The arrival of immigrants from the Korean peninsula, and possibly others parts of mainland East Asia, provided one impetus for changes in political organization and related burial practices.

 

 

Large jar, late Kofun or Asuka period (ca. 3rd century–710), 6th–7th century
Japan
Stoneware with natural ash glaze and comb and cord markings (Sue ware)

 

This jar is an example of the type of stoneware containers and stands known as Sue ware, produced from the middle of the fifth until the fourteenth century. Because the word sue means offering, it is presumed that they were originally made for ritual use. Early examples of Sue ware are typically found in tombs, while later articles were also made for use in Buddhist temples.

This massive jar is striking in its size, dramatic contour, and the appearance of the mottled greenish glaze that unevenly coats the mouth and shoulders. The glaze, produced accidentally when ash and embers from burning logs settled on the objects during firing, drips down the sides of the jar, freezing the process of its formation. The rough look of the vessel's surface is accentuated by the pattern of incised lines and cord markings that cover it. In later centuries, ceramic objects such as this jar were highly prized for their irregular profile and rustic appearance, because it was felt that these characteristics conveyed a one-of-a-kind quality and captured the energy and spontaneity of nature.