Haniwa from Wakayama Prefecture: The Iwase Senzuka Tumuli and the Culture of the Kii Region
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Haniwa (Terracotta tomb object), Bird spreading its wings, Excavated at Dainichiyama No. 35 Tumulus, Wakayama-shi, Wakayama, Kofun period, 6th century (Important Cultural Property, Wakayama Prefectural Board of Education)
Japanese Archaeology and Special Exhibition (Heiseikan) Japanese Archaeology Gallery
January 2, 2018 (Tue) - March 4, 2018 (Sun)Around the estuary of the Kinokawa river in Wakayama city lie the Iwase Senzuka tumuli, which were constructed between the 4th and 7th centuries. Containing about 850 separate tumuli within three square kilometers – an unparalleled number in Japan – this area received the national designation of Special Historic Site. Although some of these haniwa are similar to those excavated from the tumuli of kings in the Kansai area, others appear to be entirely unique, including ones shaped like birds spreading their wings, quivers that would have been worn at the hip, and a human figure with two faces. This exchange is also illustrated by other objects excavated from the tumuli, such as the Korean pottery vessels and blacksmithing tools from the Dainichiyama No. 70 tumulus.
This thematic exhibition was made possible through the Program for the Reciprocal Exchange of Archaeological Artifacts (2017) organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. The majority of the objects on display are from the collection of the Wakayama Prefectural Kii-fudoki-no-oka Museum of Archaeology and Folklore.