The are terracotta clay figures that were made for ritual use and buried with the dead as funerary objects during the

Kofun period The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...

(3rd to 6th centuries AD) of the

history of Japan The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to prehistoric times around 30,000 BC. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millennium BC when new inven ...

. ''Haniwa'' were created according to the ''wazumi'' technique, in which mounds of coiled clay were built up to shape the figure, layer by layer. ''Haniwa'' can also refer to offering cylinders, not the clay sculptures on top of them as well as the "wooden haniwa" found in

Kofun are megalithic tombs or tumuli in Northeast Asia. ''Kofun'' were mainly constructed in the Japanese archipelago between the middle of the 3rd century to the early 7th century CE.岡田裕之「前方後円墳」『日本古代史大辞典』� ...

tumuli. Terracotta ''Haniwa'' were made with water-based clay and dried into a coarse and absorbent material that stood the test of time. Their name means "circle of clay", referring to how they were arranged in a circle above the tomb. The protruding parts of the figures were made separately and then attached, while a few things were carved into them. They were smoothed out by a wooden paddle. Terraces were arranged to place them with a cylindrical base into the ground, where the earth would hold them in place. During the Kofun period, a highly aristocratic society with militaristic rulers developed. The

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

wore iron armor, carried

sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...

s and other weapons, and used advanced military methods like those of northeast Asia. Many of them are represented in ''haniwa'' figurines for funerary purposes. The most important of the ''haniwa'' were found in southern

Honshū , historically called , is the largest and most populous island of Japan. It is located south of Hokkaidō across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyūshū across the Kanmon Straits. The island separa ...

—especially the Kinai region around Nara—and northern

Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...

. ''Haniwa'' grave offerings were made in many forms, such as horses, chickens, birds, fans, fish, houses, weapons, shields, sunshades, pillows, and humans. Besides decorative and spiritual reasons of protecting the deceased in the afterlife, these figures served as a sort of retaining wall for the burial mound. Because these ''haniwa'' display the contemporary clothing, hairstyle, farming tools, and architecture, these sculptures are important as a historical archive of the Kofun Period. Everyday pottery items from that period are called Haji pottery.

History

Origin

Earlier, clay figurines, called '' dogū'', appeared during the

Jōmon period The is the time in Japanese history, traditionally dated between 6,000–300 BCE, during which Japan was inhabited by a diverse hunter-gatherer and early agriculturalist population united through a common Jōmon culture, which reached a c ...

. Hiroaki Sato cites a passage from the Nihon Shoki, in which Emperor Suinin issued an imperial edict concerning funerals: "From now on make it a rule to erect clay figures and not to hurt people." It was therefore thought that these clay figures may have replaced live human sacrifices. However, ''haniwa'' figures were not made until long after Suinin's rule had ended. The origin of ''haniwa'' started during the latter part of the Yayoi period around the Kingdom of Kibi. During this time special earthenware figurines and bowls started to appear on top of the tombs of leaders. The early sculptures exceeded 1 m (3.3 ft) in length. They consisted of a cylindrical portion, which represented the torso, and a skirt-shaped portion at the base, which represented the legs. Many times a special insignia or pattern would be displayed on the torso. Sometimes an obi would be placed around the torso. These sculptures are thought to have been used as part of a funeral ritual. Other than the Kibi area, the only other place these sculptures were found was in the

Izumo province was an old province of Japan which today consists of the eastern part of Shimane Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province is in the Chūgoku region. History During the early Kofun period (3rd century) this region was independent an ...

. During the latter part of the 3rd century AD, these sculptures started to appear on top of the imperial grave mounds in the Kinai region. During this time more elaborate ''haniwa'' appeared with earthenware bowls. It is believed that the movement of these sculptures and ''haniwa'' from the Kibi region to the Kinai region is indicative of an increase in their importance.

Later developments

During the earlier part of the

(later 3rd century CE) the only earthenware ''haniwa'' were cylindrical, like barrels. These haniwa barrels were used to form the

kofun are megalithic tombs or tumuli in Northeast Asia. ''Kofun'' were mainly constructed in the Japanese archipelago between the middle of the 3rd century to the early 7th century CE.岡田裕之「前方後円墳」『日本古代史大辞典』� ...

mound. They were arranged in the shape of the mound (square, circle, or keyhole) and soil was brought in to fill the interior, and then a new row of haniwa barrels were arranged to make the next level and the process was repeated until the mound was the desired height. Additional soil was added to the exterior to form sloping sides. Toward the early 4th century CE, ''haniwa'' sculptures in the shape of shields and other tools started to appear. By the middle

(mid-5th century AD), there were ''haniwa'' statues in the shape of shrine maidens, horses, dogs, and other animals. As the practice of ceremonial burial mounds declined in the mid-6th century CE, ''haniwa'' became rarer in the Kinai region; however, ''haniwa'' were made in abundance in the

Kantō region The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba and Kanagawa. Slight ...

. It is not uncommon for some haniwa to be painted with red dye or other colors. Besides the cylindrical haniwa (enkei-haniwa), another common type was the house-shaped haniwa (keisho-haniwa). Other things that fell into the category of keisho-haniwa were those shaped like humans, animals, and swords. The details on the haniwa give information about the elite buried in the tomb, and represent some of the tools or other objects people of that time used. The military haniwa inform archeologists of the armour and weapons, as well as the status symbols of the military class. File:Periodo kofun, haniwa, donna seduta, VI sec.JPG, Seated woman File:Periodo kofun, haniwa, casette, VI sec.JPG, ''Haniwa'' houses File:Caballo Haniwa Guimet 01.JPG, ''Haniwa'' horse statuette, complete with saddle and

stirrup A stirrup is a light frame or ring that holds the foot of a rider, attached to the saddle by a strap, often called a ''stirrup leather''. Stirrups are usually paired and are used to aid in mounting and as a support while using a riding animal ( ...

s, 6th century

Significance

Originally, the cylindrical type ''haniwa'' were set on top of the funeral mounds, so it is believed that they had a purpose in funeral rituals; however, as the ''haniwa'' became more developed, they were set toward the outside of the grave area. It is thought that they were used as boundary markers for the borders of the gravesite. There is a theory that the soul of the deceased would reside in the ''haniwa'', as the earlier ''haniwa'' were placed on top of the funeral mounds. There are ''haniwa'' that are equipped with weapons and armor. These are thought to be containers for souls. The armor and weapons would drive away evil spirits and protect the buried ruler from calamity. Because the horse- and animal-shaped ''haniwa'' were normally neatly arranged into a line, it is believed that they were part of a sending-off ceremony.

In modern society

Although the religious implications of the ''haniwa'' have largely declined in modern society, the sculptures are prized by many for their aesthetic and historical significance. The works of Isamu Noguchi, for example, were heavily influenced by the ''haniwa''. They have been accepted as "Pure Art", according to '' Time'' magazine. Beyond simple appreciation as artistic sculptures, modern popular culture has, in some cases, portrayed the ''haniwa'' as containing a sentient entity and not just as a simple empty sculpture. The portrayal of living ''haniwa'' has—since the late 1990s—become widespread, being featured in entertainment mediums, including but not limited to: video games, trading cards, movies, and television. In some of the depictions, the ''haniwa'' is primarily presented as a ghostlike, malevolent creature with no emotional remorse to complete its task. The most common portrayal depicts the ''haniwa'' with a rounded, pot-like shape, bearing two deep eyes, a wide mouth, and two featureless "arms" on opposite sides of the "pot".

References

External links

Haniwa warrior in keiko armor
Smarthistory {{Authority control Archaeology of Japan Archaeology of death Ceramic sculptures Japanese pottery Japanese dolls Japanese words and phrases Kofun period