The is a ''
dogū
are small humanoid and animal figurines made during the later part of the Jōmon period (14,000–400 BC) of prehistoric Japan. ''Dogū'' come exclusively from the Jōmon period, and were no longer made by the following Yayoi period. There are ...
'', a humanoid clay female figurine from the Middle
Jōmon period
In Japanese history, the is the time between , during which Japan was inhabited by the Jōmon people, a diverse hunter-gatherer and early agriculturalist population united by a common culture, which reached a considerable degree of sedentism an ...
(c. 2500 BC),
[.] discovered in 1986 in
Chino,
Nagano Prefecture
is a Landlocked country, landlocked Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Nagano Prefecture has a population of 2,007,682 () and has a geographic area of . Nagano Prefecture borders Niigata Prefecture ...
, Japan. It was designated a
National Treasure in 1995, the first Jōmon-period artifact to be so designated.
The ''
dogū
are small humanoid and animal figurines made during the later part of the Jōmon period (14,000–400 BC) of prehistoric Japan. ''Dogū'' come exclusively from the Jōmon period, and were no longer made by the following Yayoi period. There are ...
'' is an ocher-colored clay statuette high and weighing .
The clay from which it is made has been carefully polished and contains
mica
Micas ( ) are a group of silicate minerals whose outstanding physical characteristic is that individual mica crystals can easily be split into fragile elastic plates. This characteristic is described as ''perfect basal cleavage''. Mica is co ...
.
Its shape is thought to resemble a pregnant woman: broad hips, a pronounced gluteal arch, prominent breasts and an enlarged belly.
In contrast to the overwhelming majority of the 20,000 ''dogū'' found in Japan, which were fragmented, the Venus of Jōmon is complete and has all its limbs.
History
In 1986, archaeological excavations were organized before the construction of an industrial park in the town of Chino at the site of the former hamlet of Tanabatake, located at the foot of the southern slope of
Mount Kirigamine in the
Yatsugatake Mountains, about northwest of
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...
.
This revealed the vestiges of a village of 149 houses, 146 of which date from the middle Jōmon period. The pieces of
obsidian
Obsidian ( ) is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed when lava extrusive rock, extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimal crystal growth. It is an igneous rock. Produced from felsic lava, obsidian is rich in the lighter element ...
discovered at the site indicate that this village was a prosperous trading center. The figurine was found among the burial pits at the center of the excavation site.
[.] It was first named the ''Tanabatake Venus'' before acquiring its present name.
[.]
In 1989, it was designated an
Important Cultural Property before achieving its current status. It is exhibited at the
Togariishi Museum of Jōmon Archaeology in Chino.
See also
*
List of National Treasures of Japan (archaeological materials)
*
Japanese Prehistoric Art
*
Masked Goddess
*
Jōmon pottery
The is a type of ancient earthenware pottery which was made during the Jōmon period in Japan. The term "Jōmon" () means "rope-patterned" in Japanese, describing the patterns that are pressed into the clay.
Outline
Oldest pottery in J ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Venus Jomon
Dogū
1986 archaeological discoveries
3rd-millennium BC sculptures
National Treasures of Japan
Sculptures of women in Japan
Archaeological discoveries in Japan