Head of a Warrior

This head of a warrior from an earthenware tomb figurine (haniwa) is from the late Kofun (literally “old burial mound”) period, which is typified by a complex hierarchical society with advanced burial rituals. Several burial mounds or tumuli for chieftains and emperors still exist today, particularly around the Nara area, and it is from such locations that haniwa figurines have been excavated. In the early Kofun period, haniwa were tubular in form so that they could be easily filled with earth and buried. In the fifth century, haniwa were made in a multitude of representational forms, including male and female figures, animals, and houses.