埴輪(はにわ)

はにわ
noun
haniwa; clay figure from ancient Japan
academic
1. haniwa; terracotta clay figure
Unglazed terracotta figures that were placed on and around burial mounds (古墳) during the Kofun period (3rd-6th century). They depict humans, animals, houses, and other objects.
埴輪(はにわ)が出土(しゅつど)した。
Haniwa were excavated.
博物館(はくぶつかん)で馬(うま)の形(かたち)をした埴輪(はにわ)を見(み)た。
I saw a horse-shaped haniwa at the museum.
埴輪(はにわ)は古墳(こふん)時代(じだい)の人々(ひとびと)の暮(く)らしを知(し)る手(て)がかりとなっている。
Haniwa serve as clues to understanding the lives of people in the Kofun period.

Haniwa are iconic artifacts of ancient Japan from the 古墳(こふん)時代(じだい) (Kofun period, roughly 3rd-6th century CE). They were arranged around 古墳(こふん) (burial mounds/tumuli). Types include 人物(じんぶつ)埴輪(はにわ) (human figures), 動物(どうぶつ)埴輪(はにわ) (animal figures), and 円筒(えんとう)埴輪(はにわ) (cylindrical haniwa). The distinctive round eyes and open mouths of human haniwa are widely recognized in Japanese culture and often referenced in pop culture. Related: 古墳(こふん) (burial mound), 土偶(どぐう) (clay figurine — from the earlier Jomon period).

Related Words

Compare: 土偶(どぐう) (Jomon period clay figurines)
Related: 古墳(こふん)時代(じだい) (Kofun period (c. 250–538 CE))
general
Added 2026.3.22 20:48 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01
18500/18667_haniwa