Living with Horses During the Kofun Period: Nagano Prefecture Through the Eyes of Immigrants from the Korean Peninsula
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Horse Bit
Found at the Hōsōgamizuka Tumulus, Nagano, Kofun period, 6th century (Important Art Object)Japanese Archaeology and Special Exhibition (Heiseikan) Thematic Exhibition Room
September 29, 2026 (Tue) - December 20, 2026 (Sun)2026 is the Year of the Horse. Horses were brought to the Japanese archipelago from the Korean Peninsula during the Kofun period (ca. 3rd–7th century). Following this, modern-day Nagano Prefecture flourished as a horse-breeding hub after a major traveling route opened in the 5th century. Horse farms were established throughout the region, where people who migrated from the Korean Peninsula provided guidance on horse breeding.
As horse breeding became widely practiced, a wide range of horse-riding equipment was buried as grave goods in tomb mounds. Moreover, warriors on horseback came to demonstrate substantial presence in political upheavals of the central government.
This thematic exhibition introduces artifacts excavated from tomb mounds in Nagano Prefecture. By bringing together a total of eighteen little-known Important Art Objects, including artifacts excavated from the Kingaisan Tumulus, the exhibition aims to offer an opportunity to rediscover the appeal of tomb mounds in Nagano Prefecture.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Important Art Object | Horse Bit | Found at the Hōsōgamizuka Tumulus, Nagano | Kofun period, 6th century | J-5999 | ||
| Highlight | Comma-Shaped Bead (Magatama) with Smaller Beads | Found at the Ishida Residence Site, Nagano | Kofun period, 6th century | Gift of Ms. Ishida Shizue, J-36871 | |||
| Highlight | Horse Bit with Ring Cheek Plates | Found on Toriuchi Pass, Nagano | Kofun period, 6th century | J-6636 | |||
| Highlight | Important Art Object | Mirror with Five Bells | Found at the Kingaisan Tumulus, Nagano | Kofun period, 5th century | J-10213 | ||
| Highlight | Important Art Object | Ring with Three Bells | Found at the Kingaisan Tumulus, Nagano | Kofun period, 5th century | J-10218 | ||
| Highlight | Ring Pommel with a Lone Dragon | Found in Iida City, Nagano | Kofun period, 6th–7th century | J-10501 | |||
| Highlight | Sword Guard with Eight Openings | Found at the Doai Tomb No. 1, Nagano | Kofun period, 6th–7th century | J-2915 | |||
| Highlight | Sword with a Curled Pommel (Warabite) | Found in Tōmi City, Nagano | Kofun (Asuka)–Nara period, 7th–8th century | J-602 |