Miniature Clay Figures Used in Kofun-Period Rites
The Clay Objects Excavated from the Myogashima Tumulus Group, Shizuoka Prefecture (静岡県明ヶ島古墳群出土土製品) is 1,064 clay objects of the middle to late Kofun period from the Myogashima tomb group in Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture, with associated fragments, which in 2013 were designated an Important Cultural Property.
The Agency for Cultural Affairs records them as owned by Iwata City and kept at the Iwata City Buried Cultural Properties Center, with fragments designated alongside.
Iwata City notes that they are the city's only Important Cultural Property.
The Finds
According to the Agency, excavations from 1994 to 2001 found them almost in place in a carved-out feature beneath Tomb No. 5, a square mound about 18 metres on a side.
They take many forms: human figures, four-legged animals, armour, weapons, mirrors, ornaments, farm tools, weaving tools and musical instruments. Human figures are the most numerous, distinguished as warriors, men and women, and zithers are made as stick, board and trough types.
What to Look For
The Agency notes that many objects capture structural details closely: shields with handles, cuirasses showing triangular plates, swords with pommel details, and sets used together such as quivers with arrows and reels with spindles. It considers them extremely important for understanding the types and combinations of clay objects in Kofun-period rites.
Iwata City notes that more than 4,000 miniature clay objects were found beneath the tombs, thought to have been set out together on the ground in prayers to the gods. All 1,064 designated pieces were conserved from fiscal 2014 to fiscal 2021.
Visiting the Clay Objects Excavated from the Myogashima Tumulus Group, Shizuoka Prefecture
The objects are kept at the Iwata City Buried Cultural Properties Center; check with the city for display dates.
Enquiries: Iwata City cultural properties section, 0538-32-9699.
Q&A
- When were the objects designated?
- On 19 June 2013.
- How many are there?
- 1,064 objects, with associated fragments.
- What kinds are there?
- Figures, animals, armour, weapons, mirrors, ornaments, tools and instruments.
- What were they used for?
- Rites of prayer to the gods, according to Iwata City.
- Where are they kept?
- At the Iwata City Buried Cultural Properties Center.
Basic Information
| Name | Clay Objects Excavated from the Myogashima Tumulus Group, Shizuoka Prefecture (静岡県明ヶ島古墳群出土土製品) |
|---|---|
| Location | Iwata City Buried Cultural Properties Center, 3678-1 Mitsuke, Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture |
| Designation | Important Cultural Property (archaeological materials) |
| Year Designated | Designated 2013/6/19 (Heisei 25) |
| Quantity | 1,064 items (with fragments) |
| Dimensions | Not recorded in the Agency for Cultural Affairs database |
| Owner | Iwata City |
| Public Access | Check display dates with the city |
References
- Agency for Cultural Affairs Database: Myogashima Tomb Group Clay Objects (Japanese)
- https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/bsys/maindetails/201/00011592
- Cultural Heritage Online: Myogashima Tomb Group Clay Objects (Japanese)
- https://online.bunka.go.jp/heritages/detail/277816
- Iwata City: Myogashima Clay Objects (Japanese)
- https://www.city.iwata.shizuoka.jp/sports_midokoro/bunkazai/kunishitei/1002061.html
Last verified: 2026.09.29