Dogū, abstract clay figures with recognisably human or animal features, have a fascinating history in Japan, dating back thousands of years. These enigmatic figures have long captured the imagination of antiquarians, archaeologists and the public alike. They provide a tantalising link to the mysterious yet remarkable Jōmon period (about 12,500-300 BC) of Japanese history. The exhibition at the British Museum features 67 extraordinary objects, lent by many different public and private collections in Japan. Three have been designated National Treasures of Japan, including the so-called ‘Venus’ fromTanabatake, Nagano prefecture and Dogū with palms pressed together from Aomori prefecture, designated by the Japanese government in 2009. An additional 25 examples rank as Important Cultural Properties and Important Art Objects. It is the first time that such a wide range of the finest dogū have been brought together in a single exhibition.
The discovery of dogū began in the northern extremities of Honshu. While the Tokugawa Shogunate was getting into its stride early in the 17th century, strange objects were being recovered and recorded at Kamegaoka,or the Hill of Jars, in the fields of Tsuragu Peninsula. A diary from northern Honshu, the Eiroku nikki (1623), describes the finding of a ceramic body. Such finds were not unique, and the pace of discovery picked up during the latter part of the Edo period (1615-1868), when amateur antiquarians developed a passion for collecting these odd relics of an ancient past, which they usually considered hangovers from the Age of the Gods (a time that is considered to be the time between creation of the Japanese islands and the establishment of the rule of the mythological emperors). It was not until the end of the Shogunate, and the restoration of imperial rule in 1868, that a new understanding of the archipelago’s ancient past developed.
Dogū evolved within the earliest dated continuous tradition of pottery manufacture in the world, stretching back to about 12,500 BC. They were produced by the Jōmon people, prehistoric foragers in the temperate forests that covered the Japanese archipelago. Jōmon people lived in tune with the seasons, and shared their rich natural world with the spirits. Since the Edo period (1615–1868) dogū have been excavated from many sites throughout Japan, the best examples coming from central and eastern regions – from where most of the current exhibits are drawn. More than 1,000 dogū havebeen recovered from each of two major sites, Shakadō in Yamanashi prefecture and Sannai Maruyama in Aomori prefecture mostly in fragments. Nationwide, the total reported to date is about 18,000.
Dogū are made from high quality pottery and come in a variety of shapes featuring intriguing decoration and geometric designs. The techniques include modelling, clay appliqué, marking with twisted plant fibres (jōmon means ‘cord-marked’) and burnishing. One of the largest complete figures in the exhibition, from Chobonaino, Hokkaido is some 42cm high. However, fragments have also been found of much larger examples that must originally have been over one metre in height; such is the head from Shidanai, Iwate prefecture. In addition to their often elaborate decoration, some dogū were painted – typically with red pigments – or covered in lacquer. They can take intriguing forms, with heart-shaped faces or triangular pointed heads. Some squat, perhaps in childbirth, others appear to be praying, still others apparently wear masks, such as the magnificent hollow-masked dogū discovered in2000 in Nagano prefecture. Many dogū have recognisably female characteristics, while others appear less gender-specific. They may be hollow or made of solid clay.
There is much debate about what dogū meant to Jōmon people and how they were used, particularly because many seem to have been deliberately broken before scattering or burial. In fact, dogū probably fulfilled a range of uses: as embodiments of spirits, venerated and revered; sometimes buried with the deceased to guide them to the next world; and most often fragmented during or after their use in Jōmon rituals. Such rituals were perhaps intended to secure safe childbirth, or ensure a successful hunt.
In the 20th century, dogū served as a potent source of artistic inspiration, and in recent decades they have even featured in manga comics and Playstation games. It is testimony to the power of dogū that they can serve, simultaneously, as symbols of prehistoric Japan; entrancing works of art; and protagonists in contemporary culture.
Until 22 November at The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London,www.britishmuseum.org.uk. The exhibition is co-organised with the Agency forCultural Affairs, Japan, in collaboration with the Tokyo National Museum. On 7 November there is a free symposium on Dogu at the British Museum, www.britishmuseum.org.
