Sending Off the Dead - Ancient Funerary Objects

This display consists of ancient funerary objects such as stone pillows, jar coffins, and jars for skeletal and cremated remains from the Museum's collection. It also includes a composite style terracotta coffin from the collections of the Kagawa Prefectural Museum of History, which is on loan to the Tokyo National Museum as part of the 2005 exchange loan program of archaeological objects.

Ancient people used various objects for funerals. Objects such as stone pillows for the deceased person and jars for the bones or ashes were made specifically for funerals. Stone pillows with two hollows were made for two people. Stone pillows for one person often have small holes around the edge, which appear to have been used to attach "stone flowers". Coffins were made from stone, wood and clay. A rather unusual example on display is a coffin that was made in the same method that haniwa tomb figures were produced. Clay jars from the Yayoi period were used to put bones from exhumed bodies for the unique practice of secondary burials. Jars for ashes from the 8th century and later, during the historical period made of clay, bronze and gilt bronze indicate the beginning of cremation in Japan.