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Hen

A work made of earthenware.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of earthenware.

Date:

6th century

Artist:

Japan

About this artwork

This hen was modeled somewhat simply, but very effectively. Comb marks along her body suggest feathers, and the features of her face and comb were made with simple tools or by hand. The hen’s body is actually one slab of clay that was folded to form the tail section. Many other haniwa in the shape of birds—such as waterfowl, swans, and hens—with similar simple execution but great sensitivity and expressiveness have been excavated, largely in the Kantô region. This piece was unearthed in Tochigi prefecture and was once in the well-known private collection of Okura Hisashi (1892–1960).

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of Asia

Title

Hen

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

35 × 35.8 × 15 cm (13 3/4 × 14 1/8 × 5 7/8 in.)

Credit Line

Purchased with Funds Provided by the Weston Foundation; President's Exhibition and Acquisition Fund

Reference Number

2010.296

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/200707/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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