The from is a horse-shaped from the area of that name in Kumagaya, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Now at Tokyo National Museum, it is of particular significance for its detailed rendering of contemporary horse tack and has been designated an Important Cultural Property.
Context Although horses feature in early Japanese mythology (namely Susanoo's rampage), horse riding as a practice appears to have been introduced to Japan from the Asian mainland in the Kofun period and to have become widespread only in the fifth century. Initially, were also imported, with evidence for domestic production from the sixth century. With the development and spread of equestrian culture in the latter half of the fifth century and into the sixth, horse-shaped were similarly produced in volume, especially in the Kantō region. According to the , "the high value placed on horses during the Tumulus period is reflected in the elaborate trappings of this ".
Overview The was most likely excavated from in what is now the city of Kumagaya; the so-called is understood to have been recovered from the same group of . Both were designated Important Cultural Properties in 1958 and are now held at Tokyo National Museum under the ownership of the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage. Both have been dated to the first half of the sixth century, with the Chūjō Kofun Cluster thought to have been in use around the middle of the century.
Made from clay, this horse stands to a total height of , measures nose to tail, and has a width or depth of some . Thanks to its cylindrical legs, some long, it stands firmly and stably upon the ground. In general it is well-preserved, although the front legs, ears, mane, tail, and saddle have all seen some restoration work. Well-groomed, the mane has been brushed up into a decorative fastener at the front and the tail's hair has also been tied up. The genitalia allow its identification as a male.
Tack
The 's tack, from nose to tail, comprise the headgear, in the form of a bridle with decorative metal fittings where the straps cross—incorporating the headpiece or bit. In this case, the bit is part of a cheekpiece that contains six small bells of the type known as , and reins. It has a set of four horse bells, slung from the breast-strap. The saddle tree or and saddle flaps or cover and protect the horse's flanks. The flanks are surmounted by ring stirrups or . To the rear, the crupper or has pendant plum leaf-shaped decorations with triple bells attached in three directions.
According to the National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, horses so equipped would have made a "striking visual and aural impression", while symbolizing the "prestige and authority of their powerful owners".
Gallery
See also Horserider Theory
References
External links
horse from Kamichūjō at e-Museum