A HANIWA EARTHENWARE HEAD OF A MAN

Haniwa, "clay ring," take their name from the cylinders found in large tomb mounds as funerary objects for the Japanese elite families, beginning in the fourth century. Made of unglazed clay by the wazumi (coil and slab) technique, the tubular base of the hollowed pillar is sunk into the ground for stability. In the subsequent centuries, potters expanded the earthen cylinders into sculptures of humans, animals and household items. For an identical example, see Tokyo National Museum accession number J-8439 (the head part), excavated from Kashiwa City in Chiba Prefecture.