About this objectHaniwa are terracotta figurines buried with the dead as funerary objects during the Kofun period in Japan (4th–6th centuries). They include human figures, horses, ships, birds and houses.
This Haniwa ship was found at the Saitobaru kofun (西都原古墳群), Miyazaki. It has space for 12 rowers.
The inclusion of ship models in burials has been interpreted by some scholars as a reference to the ship leading the dead to the afterlife, as suggested by the larger Haniwa ship and the wooden ship found in Suyama kofun [EXH114].
Date Made5th c.
PeriodKofun
Place MadeJapan
Subject and Association KeywordsDeath and burials
Subject and Association KeywordsShips
Subject and Association DescriptionLearn More: Zancan 2023
