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Haniwa (hollow clay sculpture) of a boar

5th century
Not on view
Earthen tomb mounds, common burial practice on the Asian continent, were brought to Japan around the third century. Haniwa (clay cylinders)—at times numbering in the thousands—were placed in rows or scattered outside these tombs. Sculptors sometimes topped cylinders with figures or animals, themselves often almost abstract in aesthetic. The shape of this poignant example recalls an infant boar’s large snout, curled body, and bound limbs.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 埴輪猪
  • Title: Haniwa (hollow clay sculpture) of a boar
  • Period: Kofun period (ca. 300–710)
  • Date: 5th century
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Earthenware
  • Dimensions: H. 3 3/4 in. (9.5 cm); W. 2 in. (5.1 cm); L. 4 7/8 in. (12/4 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: The Harry G. C. Packard Collection of Asian Art, Gift of Harry G. C. Packard, and Purchase, Fletcher, Rogers, Harris Brisbane Dick, and Louis V. Bell Funds, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, and The Annenberg Fund Inc. Gift, 1975
  • Object Number: 1975.268.418
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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