About this objectThe remains of this wooden boat were found in the moat of Suyama kofun (巣山古墳), a late 4th century tomb in Koryocho, Nara Prefecture. The boat is made of Japanese cedar and decorated with a pattern of concentric circles known as chokkomon (直弧文), intended to ward off evil. It is believed that it was used to transport the coffin to the tomb, representing the journey to the afterlife.
The belief possibly shows an influence from the Chinese continent and a later Chinese source (Suishu, The History of the Sui) describes the practice:
'The dead are buried in coffins,... When they bury their corpses, they lay them on a ship and haul them on dry land,...' [trans. Zancan 2023: 552].
Date Madelate 4th-early 5th c.
PeriodKofun
Place MadeJapan
Subject and Association KeywordsDeath and burials
Subject and Association KeywordsShips
Subject and Association DescriptionLearn More: Barnes 2003; ; Zanna 2023;
