ID: Conical round-bottomed vessel found in Hokkaido

MEDIUM: Earthenware

HOW IT WAS MADE: coiled clay with impressions, likely from rope

PERIOD: Initial Jomon

WHAT MAKES IT STYLISTICALLY INTERESTING: has slight rim undulations that will become more pronounced in later phases, same with cord marks

CONTEXT IN HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK:good example of consistent ceramic style for Initial Jomon

THEORIES OF WHO MADE IT & WHY: made by nomads since rounded bottom suitable for forest & campsites, possibly for heating food over fire or hearth

ID: Reconstruction of Early Jomon Pit-House

MEDIUM: about 20in pit for earth floors, thatched roof supported by wood posts and beams

HOW IT WAS MADE: Pit dug down, roof made with reeds and bark, posts and beams placed in center and periphery

PERIOD: Early Jomon

WHAT MAKES IT STYLISTICALLY INTERESTING: pit-type base, permanent-ish

SYMBOLIC OR ICONOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE:

CONTEXT IN HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK: marked beginning of houses being organized into permanent communities-->move from nomadic lifestyle

THEORIES OF WHO MADE IT & WHY: see context

ID: Conical flat-bottomed vessel with scalloped edge

MEDIUM: earthenware

HOW IT WAS MADE: likely still by coil method, decorations with ropes, plant fibers, bamboo stick incisions

PERIOD: Early Jomon

WHAT MAKES IT STYLISTICALLY INTERESTING:

- flat bottom-->indicates meant to be more than for cooking

- more complicated decoration

- much more accentuated scalloped rim

SYMBOLIC OR ICONOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE: 

CONTEXT IN HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK: reflect transition from nomadic lifestyle to permanent dwelling

THEORIES OF WHO MADE IT & WHY: likely made by women for everyday use

ID: "Flame-Ware" vessel/Kaen Doki (from Niigata)

MEDIUM: Earthenware

HOW IT WAS MADE: application of cordons of clay to surface to build up strong 3-D designs

PERIOD: Middle Jomon Phase

WHAT MAKES IT STYLISTICALLY INTERESTING: flaring cylindrical body, scalloped-edge now flame-like cockscomb (keito), almost 3-D decorations of swirls

SYMBOLIC OR ICONOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE: meaning of flame design not evident

CONTEXT IN HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK: very different from earlier cord-imprint pots, only found in Niigata prefecture, didn't spread to other regions, style short-lived

THEORIES OF WHO MADE IT & WHY: less-utilitarian, so potentially for some sort of ritual or religious use (storing sacred things in home? ashes?)

ID: Vessel with Snake Form Handle

MEDIUM: Earthenware

HOW IT WAS MADE: 

PERIOD: Middle Jomon Phase

WHAT MAKES IT STYLISTICALLY INTERESTING: reflects development of modeling images on rims of large cylindrical vessels

SYMBOLIC OR ICONOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE: snake motif is based on mamushi, poisonous viper of Japan

CONTEXT IN HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK: longer-lived style of decoration(rim designs), not utilitarian

THEORIES OF WHO MADE IT & WHY: animals may have been meant to be guardians of vessels' contents

ID: Vessel of "Incense-Burner" Type

MEDIUM: Earthenware

HOW IT WAS MADE: application of cordons of clay to surface

PERIOD: Middle Jomon

WHAT MAKES IT STYLISTICALLY INTERESTING: sphere with enough of surface cut away to permit hand to fill it with oil or incense, lower part decorated with vertical cuts in clay, upper part free-flowing design based on circle around holes; design has snakes or long-beaked bird

SYMBOLIC OR ICONOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE: animals may have been protectors of vessel's contents

CONTEXT IN HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK: less-utilitarian, more ritualistic and decorative shift

THEORIES OF WHO MADE IT & WHY: may have been religious, may have been meant to amuse (whimsical imagery)

ID: "Heavily Modeled" Female Figurine

MEDIUM: Earthenware

HOW IT WAS MADE: hollow, 

PERIOD: Final Jomon Phase

WHAT MAKES IT STYLISTICALLY INTERESTING: heavily-modeled, bulky female figure; large, bold swirling pattern on robe; bodies and faces are distorted, tiny down-turned mouth, single hold for nose, huge round eyes bisected by single line each; may also be snow goggles

SYMBOLIC OR ICONOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE:

CONTEXT IN HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK: coincide with decrease in population in Late and Final phases

THEORIES OF WHO MADE IT & WHY: body may have been hollow to permit soul to take up residence within; eyes may be reflectors of death OR as benign windows-to-soul; probably present earth mother for Jomon people; may have acted as votive offerings

ID: Stone Circle

MEDIUM: Huge rocks

HOW IT WAS MADE:

PERIOD: Late Jomon Phase

WHAT MAKES IT STYLISTICALLY INTERESTING: single verticle stone in center surrounded by long, narrow stones laid on ground, radiating out from center in concentric circles; enclosed by third ring of stones at right angles to radials

SYMBOLIC OR ICONOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE: many of these circles appear in  Late and Final Jomon phases

CONTEXT IN HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK: new development within ritual life of Jomon culture; located at sites close to but separate from living quarters of villages

THEORIES OF WHO MADE IT & WHY: almost certainly of ritual purpose; hosted communal ceremonies; burials closeby

ID:  Yayoi Raised Storehouse

MEDIUM: wood planks with a thatched roof

HOW IT WAS MADE:

PERIOD: Yayoi Period

WHAT MAKES IT STYLISTICALLY INTERESTING: rectangular building raised off ground with stilts, rached by set of steep steps or ladder

SYMBOLIC OR ICONOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE:

CONTEXT IN HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK:adapted in succeeding centuries as kind of sacred architecture

THEORIES OF WHO MADE IT & WHY: stored rice, raised-design prevented rice from rotting by providing layer of air between it and moist ground

ID: Dotaku w/ designs of animals, plants, daily life (from Kagawa)

MEDIUM: bronze

HOW IT WAS MADE: Japanese craftsmen learned to make in style of Chinese & Koreans

PERIOD: Late Yayoi

WHAT MAKES IT STYLISTICALLY INTERESTING:

- related to Chinese zhong bell without clapper

-4-51 inches in height

-oval body, semicircular handle, flange extending from base of bell to apex

- most have geometric designs arranged in bands or blocks over body--sometimes figural images appear

-most interesting bells show figures interacting--this bell has people engaged in activities alongside animals, birds, insects

SYMBOLIC OR ICONOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE:

CONTEXT IN HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK: masses of them found in gravesites in southern Honshu (Kyushu burials have bronze blades, mirrors)

THEORIES OF WHO MADE IT & WHY: put in burial sites

ID: Pitcher (from Kansai Region, Nara Prefecture)

MEDIUM: Clay

HOW IT WAS MADE: stacked coils of clay, sometimes made on rotating wheel, fired in open fires, sometimes placed in pit kilns

PERIOD: Middle Yayoi

WHAT MAKES IT STYLISTICALLY INTERESTING:

-great example of "drag & press" decoration technique (comb pressed into clay vertically and dragged)

-rather tall base with leaf-shaped cut holes

-belly swells out over base, narrows at neck

-surface divided into registers decorated w/ different motifs

- shape is sturdy, refined--smooth cylindrical base contrasts w/ natural swelling and narrowing of body

SYMBOLIC OR ICONOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE:

CONTEXT IN HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK: most commonly found objects at Yayoi sites (though metalwork more "dazzling")

THEORIES OF WHO MADE IT & WHY: probably both for everyday living as well as for rituals

ID: Vessel with Human Face

MEDIUM: Earthenware

HOW WAS IT MADE: stacked coil

PERIOD: Middle Yayoi

WHAT MAKES IT STYLISTICALLY INTERESTING: one of rare group of Yayoi vessels that had depiction of human face on neck or body of jar

- unusually tall

-flat base

-swells to widest point midway b/w base and rim

SYMBOLIC/ICONOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE:

CONTEXT IN HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK:

THEORIES OF WHO MADE IT & WHY:

- may have been used for storing grain

- face intended as protecting presence

-funerary possibility: offering to spirit world or food for deceased

- theory they were used for secondary burial (dig up bones after they had been buried for a certain amount of time, washed in vessel and reburied in large earthenware vessel)

ID: Tomb of Emperor Nintoku

MEDIUM: big mound of earth, trees, moat full of H20

HOW WAS IT MADE: people dug the big keyhole-shaped mound, filled the moat around it

- most impressive ones found in Kansai region

PERIOD: Kofun (specif. late 4th/Early 5th century C.E.)

WHAT MAKES IT STYLISTICALLY INTERESTING: example of kofun: big keyhole-shaped tomb mound

- largest of all tomb-mounds

- 90ft at apex, almost 1/3mile long

- surrounded by 3 moats

- entire monument covers 458 acres

- pit-shaft grave with the burial chamber located near top of mound

- iron weapons placed in tomb, plus bronze mirror and magatama, gold crowns, jewelry, glass bowls

- haniwa clay figures distributed over surface of mound

SYMBOLIC/ICONOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE:

CONTEXT IN HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK:

-similar to Yayoi burial mounds, but massive, and no more buried bronze items

- spread of kofun mirrors spread of Yamato power

- tomb mounds for great leaders have strong precedent in China for 2 millennia before Kofun period

THEORIES OF WHO MADE IT & WHY:

- traditionally burial mound ascribed to emperor

- also created for people close to emperor (wife, etc-->would be located closeby)

- kind of a "land of the dead" burial site--separated from rest of living areas

ID: Haniwa figure of warrior (from site in Gunma prefecture)

MEDIUM: Clay

HOW WAS IT MADE: coils of clay fired at low temperatures

PERIOD: Kofun Period

WHAT MAKES IT STYLISTICALLY INTERESTING:

- haniwa of figures only found in eastern Kanto

- full-body armor, wide-leg trousers, gauntlet, helmet

- eyes hollow

SYMBOLIC/ICONOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE:

- warrior and armor shows that warfare not uncommon in Yamato state

CONTEXT IN HISTORICAL FRAMEWORK:

-thousands found on tomb of Nintoku

- after 6th century, disappeared from imperial Kansai kofun-->shifted to Kanto plain region

THEORIES OF WHO MADE IT & WHY:

- formed border around kofun

-could symbolize things/people the deceased might need in afterlife

- could form border into "land of the dead"

- could have been there to hold the dirt in place

- protect deceased and help make familiar resting place