Development of Figural Haniwa Tomb Figurines
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Tomb Sculpture (Haniwa): Monkey
Reportedly found at the Dainichizuka Tumulus, Ibaraki, Kofun period, 6th century (Important Cultural Property)Japanese Archaeology and Special Exhibition (Heiseikan) Japanese Archaeology Gallery
April 8, 2026 (Wed) - December 20, 2026 (Sun)The advent of burial mounds coincided with the emergence of a specific kind of tomb sculpture, called haniwa. These sculptures are assumed to have played an important role in ancient funerary rites, and were a common feature of burial mounds until the practice declined after early societies abandoned the construction of colossal, keyhole-shaped burial mounds. This section of the gallery features house-shaped tomb sculptures, which were the dominant type during the 5th century. The lineup also includes illustrative examples of three other types of tomb sculptures: those in the shapes of weapons and household items, cylindrical sculptures, and wooden sculptures.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Tomb Sculpture (Haniwa): Monkey | Reportedly found at the Dainichizuka Tumulus, Ibaraki | Kofun period, 6th century | J-39103 | ||
| Highlight | Tomb Sculpture (Haniwa): Man Sitting Cross-Legged | Found in Mo'oka City, Tochigi | Kofun period, 6th century | J-21575 | |||
| Highlight | Tomb Sculpture (Haniwa): Warrior in Keikō Armor | Found at the Kamishiba Tumulus, Gunma | Kofun period, 6th century | J-20839-1 | |||
| Highlight | Tomb Sculpture (Haniwa): Quiver | Found in Ōta City, Gunma | Kofun period, 6th century | J-7358 | |||
| Tomb Sculpture (Haniwa): Chicken | Found at the Niwatorizuka Tumulus, Tochigi | Kofun period, 6th century | Gift of Mr. Hashimoto Shōzaburō and others, J-22899 | ||||
| Tomb Sculpture (Haniwa): Dog | Found at the Gōshi Tenjin'yama Tumulus, Gunma | Kofun period, 6th century | J-20711 |