Figurine

This example of the Kamegaoka type of dogu figure has legs but lacks the head and left arm. The right breast (and presumably originally the left one) is here incorporated into a circular motif close to the shoulder. The surface design is an intricate combination of cord impressions, punctates and grooves, characteristic of Kamegaoka dogu in particular and Finaljomon pottery in general.

The breaks are relatively clean and suggest deliberate destruction; the chest is c. 7 mm thick. There is a hole in the anal area, which is likely to be an aperture to allow gases to escape during firing. If this is a firing vent, it would suggest that the head was not open at the crown, as is the case with objects 975 and 1091. This piece was reported by the vendor to have been excavated at Kamegaoka, Aomori Prefecture, Honshu.

Entry taken from Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection 3 volume catalogue, edited by Steven Hooper (Yale University Press, 1997).