Ancient Japanese Kofun Period Haniwa Terracotta Head

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Ancient Japanese Kofun Period Haniwa Terracotta Head

About the Item

A rare Proto-Historic Japanese Haniwa bust of a man, dating to the Kofun (or Tumulus) Period, 4th-6th century AD. The terracotta sculpture is of a male warrior, shown wearing conical helmet. He is depicted with oval face, mild brow, cut-out eyes and narrow mouth. The Minimalist aesthetic is arresting; haunting the viewer with a lidless slit gaze and wide emotionless mouth. The austere features allow for a variable interpretation of the expression, though the black soullessness of the eyes seem to reflect an otherworldly quality, perhaps suggesting that we are not meant to impart our own earthly characteristics on the piece. From the late fourth century the leaders of the Yamato state in the area around Kyoto had established their dominance over other Japanese kingdoms and they appear to have been the founders of the Japanese Imperial Dynasty. Their status is made clear in the size and splendour of their tombs; large tumuli or kofun ('old mounds'), which give their name to the historical Kofun period. This significant bust would have stood with others in a protective circle around the tomb mound of one of these powerful rulers. Though their purpose is ill understood, it seems that they served to demarcate the burial site and perhaps to contain the spirit of the deceased. Japan's Kofun culture occupied the very end of the Prehistoric period, where only limited knowledge of writing existed. For this reason the Kofun culture is often referred to as 'Proto-Historic' Japan; a period characterized by a highly ordered, class-based society. As virtually no written records exist and contact with external cultures was minimal, our knowledge of the Protohistoric Japanese derives largely from their material culture. Miki writes that: "Haniwa arrangements can best be thought of in terms of a calculated visual effect aimed at the person gazing at, or worshipping before, such tumuli from a considerable distance [...] Their ultimate location far from the eye of the viewer, who was separated from them and their ghostly companions by the placid waters of the moat circling the tumulus, explains much of their technique [...] only that which absolutely must be expressed is explicitly stated." The famous Japanese Historian, Dr. Tetsuro Watsuji expresses the appeal of the Haniwa in his own way: "Look at them, if you will, from afar off; but the strange thing you will notice is that the farther you draw away from them, the more real they become [...] As one gradually draws away from a Haniwa, the sculptured eyes gradually become real eyes, now truly the 'widows of the soul'; the whole face lights up with life; and the entire Haniwa figure itself seems about to come alive." Provenance: Formerly in the possession of Mr. E. Elisofon, gifted by Mr. I. Noguchi and acquired 1950s.

Dimensions:
Height: 13 in (33.02 cm)Diameter: 4.75 in (12.07 cm)
Materials and Techniques:
Terracotta
Place of Origin:
Japan
Period:
15th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
4th-6th Century AD
Condition:
Seller Location:
London, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU105221270404

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