The discreet charm of the haniwa: images of women in the clay sculpture of kofun period

The tradition of installation of haniwa clay sculptures depicting human beings, animals, household items, houses, etc. on the keyhole-shaped mounds (kofun) became widespread in Japan at the final stage of the Kofun period. The article analyzes the finds of haniwa, depicting women, and identifies the regional differences in the representation of female images. The finds of the surviving sculptural groups allow us to trace the plot lines in which female haniwa figures are involved, and to reveal the key ones among them.