The Dogū figures of the Jōmon period of prehistoric Japan. Around 10,000 BCE, a culture an
The Dogū figures of the Jōmon period of prehistoric Japan. Around 10,000 BCE, a culture and pottery type called Jōmon emerged in Japan, and is among the earliest pottery in the world. The Jomon period, which encompasses a great expanse of time, constitutes Japan’s Neolithic period. Its name is derived from the “cord markings” that characterize the ceramics made during this time. Jomon people were semi-sedentary, living mostly in pit dwellings arranged around central open spaces, and obtained their food by gathering, fishing, and hunting. All Jomon pots were made by hand, without the aid of a wheel, the potter building up the vessel from the bottom with coil upon coil of soft clay. As in all other Neolithic cultures, women produced these early potteries. (x) One particularly notable feature of Jōmon pottery is the emergence of the remarkable ceramic Dogū figures. These mysterious prehistoric Japanese masterpieces were produced in large numbers -approximately 15,000 have been rediscovered according to the National Museum of Japanese History. These figures typically date to the Middle and Late Jomon periods (2500 BCE to 1000 BCE), and are generally thought to have had religious or ritual significance. There are various styles of Dogū figures, some of which are often categorized into: ‘heart shaped types’, 'google-eyed types’, 'pregnant woman types’, and 'horned-owl types’. To see some examples of these different types, you can check out the photos from the British Museum exhibit: the power of dogu: ceramic figures from ancient Japan. Shown artifact courtesy & currently located at the LACMA, USA. Photo taken by sailko. -- source link
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