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Head of a Warrior

A work made of earthenware.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of earthenware.

Date:

6th century
Kofun period (mid 3rd–6th century A.D.)

Artist:

Japan
Artist Unknown

About this artwork

This head of a warrior from an earthenware tomb figurine (haniwa) is from the late Kofun (literally “old burial mound”) period, which is typified by a complex hierarchical society with advanced burial rituals. Several burial mounds or tumuli for chieftains and emperors still exist today, particularly around the Nara area, and it is from such locations that haniwa figurines have been excavated. In the early Kofun period, haniwa were tubular in form so that they could be easily filled with earth and buried. In the fifth century, haniwa were made in a multitude of representational forms, including male and female figures, animals, and houses.

Although there are losses, most notably above the ears and at the back of the head, this sculpture has no repairs or restoration. The calm expression and symmetrical facial features make it one of the most dignified extant haniwa heads. It was once in the collection of the famed potter Hamada Shôji.

Status

On View, Gallery 102

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

Head of a Warrior

Place

Japan (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

300 CE–552 CE

Medium

Earthenware

Dimensions

25.5 × 15.5 × 12.2 cm (10 × 6 1/8 × 4 3/4 in.)

Credit Line

Purchased with Funds Provided by the Weston Foundation; Alyce and Edwin DeCosta and the Walter E. Heller Foundation Fund; Robert Allerton Trust

Reference Number

2009.629

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/200704/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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