Haniwa: Warrior Head

During the Kofun period members of the ruling class constructed immense earthen tomb mounds. Clay cylinders called haniwa (Japanese for "rings of clay") adorned the outside of these domed structures and were set up within the burial chambers to serve as stands for grave goods. Later haniwa took human or animal form and were placed in impressive numbers on the slopes of fifth-century aristocratic tomb mounds. While archaeologists debate their precise function, it is apparent that such figural pieces possessed symbolic, ritual meaning as well as practical use, increasing the stability of these burial structures.