3rd - 5th century

Tomb Guardian (Haniwa)

Pottery sculptures were made in various forms, including human beings and animals, to protect imperial tombs during the Kofun period. Their name, haniwa, means “clay cylinders,” as they were made by piling up coiled clay before shaping and firing. Unlike Chinese tomb guardians, which were always entombed with the deceased, Japanese haniwa figures were placed on the ground around the burial mound to create a protective circle. This tube-shaped figure wears a necklace of rosettes and a belt fastening a bludgeon-like object at his waist.