Warrior Haniwa, unknown maker from Japan

Artwork Overview

Warrior Haniwa
Warrior Haniwa
Warrior Haniwa
late 400s, Kofun period (250 CE–552 CE)
Warrior Haniwa , late 400s, Kofun period (250 CE–552 CE)
Where object was made: Japan
Material/technique: earthenware
Dimensions:
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 81.5 x 32 x 24.5 cm with base
Object Height/Width/Depth (Height x Width x Depth): 32 1/16 x 12 5/8 x 9 5/8 in
Credit line: Museum purchase: Barbara Benton Wescoe Fund
Accession number: 1977.0067
On display: Loo Gallery
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Images

Label texts

Displacement

This haniwa figure once decorated a mound covering the tomb of an important Japanese chieftain. On the slopes or summits of these tombs, haniwa sculptures stood in rows guarding the sacred space while symbolizing the power and importance of the deceased.

Displacement

This haniwa figure once decorated a mound covering the tomb of an important Japanese chieftain. On the slopes or summits of these tombs, haniwa sculptures stood in rows guarding the sacred space while symbolizing the power and importance of the deceased.

Sacred Space and Japanese Art at the Spencer Museum of Art

Haniwa exhibit a direct connection to one of the earliest known forms of Japanese burial practices. Haniwa were placed on top of the famous keyhole-shaped tombs characteristic of the Kofun Period (250-538 CE). Likely created as tomb guardians, haniwa also validated the importance and power of the deceased elite of society buried in the tombs they surrounded, and in addition, they seem to provide a connection between the human and spirit worlds. Often surrounded by a moat, these burial mounds ranged in size with some stretching a half-mile long, depending on the importance and wealth of the deceased buried in the underground tomb.
Over time, haniwa evolved from simple shapes, such as cylinders, to more concrete and advanced forms, such as animals, houses, boats, and people, including soldiers wearing armor and weapons. This particular soldier (perhaps low-ranking given the lack of elaborate armor) appears to have a quiver and a sword strapped to his body. The cylindrical footing, which provided sturdy anchorage to the earth and prevented disruption during erosion, is typical of the terracotta haniwa form.
Text by Sasha Miller

Corpus - Project Redefine: Phase 2

This helmeted warrior with a quiver on his back and a sword at his waist is a relic from Japan's proto-historic Tumulus period. It once decorated an earthen mound covering the tomb of an important chieftain. On the slopes or summits of these tombs, grouped in rows, haniwa stood guarding the sacred precincts while symbolizing the power and importance of the deceased. The cylinder shafts which anchored the haniwa into the earth may have aided in the prevention of erosion and kept the figures upright. Ropes may have been strung from statue to statue through holes in their bases, designating the haniwa as a divider between the sacred realm of the tomb and the profane world beyond.

Exhibition Label:
"Corpus," Apr-2012, Kris Ercums
This helmeted warrior with a quiver on his back and a sword at his waist is a relic from Japan's proto-historic Tumulus period. It once decorated an earthen mound covering the tomb of an important chieftain. On the slopes or summits of these tombs, grouped in rows, haniwa stood guarding the sacred precincts while symbolizing the power and importance of the deceased. The cylinder shafts which anchored the haniwa into the earth may have aided in the prevention of erosion and kept the figures upright. Ropes may have been strung from statue to statue through holes in their bases, designating the haniwa as a divider between the sacred realm of the tomb and the profane world beyond.

Archive Label:
This helmeted warrior with a quiver on his back and a sword at his waist is a relic from Japan's proto-historic Tumulus period. It once decorated an earthen mound covering the tomb of an important chieftain. On the slopes or summits of these tombs, grouped in rows, haniwa stood guarding the sacred precincts while symbolizing the power and importance of the deceased. The cylinder shafts which anchored the haniwa into the earth may have aided in the prevention of erosion and kept the figures upright. Ropes may have been strung from statue to statue through holes in their bases, designating the haniwa as a divider between the sacred realm of the tomb and the profane world beyond.

Exhibitions

Corpus - Project Redefine: Phase 2
Kris Ercums, curator
2012–2015
Sacred Space and Japanese Art at the Spencer Museum of Art
Sherry Fowler, curator
2015
Connoisseurship
María Román Navarro, curator
2004
The Object Speaks
Cassandra Mesick Braun, curator
Kate Meyer, curator
Celka Straughn, curator
2016–2021
Displacement
2022–2027
Displacement
2022–2027

Resources

Audio

Didactic – Art Minute
Didactic – Art Minute
Episode 40 Sep-2005, Patrick Musick, Docent I’m David Cateforis with another art minute from the Spencer Museum of Art. A highlight of the Spencer’s Asian collection is an earthenware warrior figure from Japan that is over 1500 years old. Known as a Haniwa figure, it was used to decorate a mounded tomb in the Kofun Period, which lasted from the mid third century to the early eighth century of the common era. In fact, Kofun means “old tomb,” and thus the tombs provide the name for this historical period. Haniwa literally means “clay ring”, and the Spencer’s Haniwa figure has a circular base, which was likely pushed into the ground to secure it. Rendered in a simplified style, the Spencer’s thirty-one inch tall warrior has a sword on his belt and a quiver of arrows on his back, signifying that he probably served as a “guardian.” But Haniwa also included images of family members, domestic animals, possessions, and buildings. Throughout the Kofun Period, Haniwa figures appeared atop the tombs of Japanese aristocrats. The introduction of Buddhism into Japan in the sixth century, however, led to the gradual abandonment of Kofun burial practices, and to the end of the Haniwa tradition. With thanks to Patrick Musick for his text, from the Spencer Museum of Art, I’m David Cateforis.