Dogu
Encyclopedia
are small humanoid and animal figurine
s made during the late Jōmon period
(14,000–400 BCE) of prehistoric Japan. Dogū come entirely from the Jōmon period
and do not continue into the Yayoi period
. There are various styles of Dogū, depending on exhumation area and time period. According to the National Museum of Japanese History, the total number found throughout Japan is approximately 15,000. Most of the Dogū have been found in eastern Japan and it is rare to find one in western Japan. The purpose of the Dogū remains unclear but, most likely, the Dogū acted as effigies
of people, that manifested some kind of sympathetic magic
. For example, it may have been believed that illnesses could be transferred into the Dogū, then destroyed, clearing the illness, or any other misfortune.
Ancient astronaut theorists suggest that some of the Dogū figurines may represent aliens in spacesuits.
es. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
, these figurines "suggest an association with fertility and shamanistic rites". Made from clay
, these figurines were fashioned into fascinating shapes. The dogū tend to have large faces, small arms and hands and compact bodies. Some appear to wear goggles or have "heart-shaped" faces. Most have marks on the face, chest and shoulders, which suggest tattoo
ing and probable incision with bamboo
.
are dogū created in the Jōmon era, and are so well-known that when most Japanese hear the term dogū, this is the image that comes to mind. The name "shakōki" (literally "light-blocking device") comes from the resemblance of the figures' eyes to traditional Inuit snow goggles
. Another distinguishing feature of the objects are the exaggerated (and possibly feminine) buttocks, chest and thighs. Furthermore, the abdomen is covered with patterns, many of which seem to have been painted with vermilion
. The larger figures are hollow, presumably in order to prevent cracking during the firing process.
Unbroken figures are rare, and most are missing an arm, leg or other body part. In many cases, the parts have been cut off. One theory is that parts of the figures may have been cut off in fertility rituals.
These types of dogū have been found in the Kamegaoka Site in Tsugaru
, Aomori Prefecture
; the Teshiromori Site in Morioka
, Iwate Prefecture
; the Ebisuda Site in Tajiri
, Miyagi Prefecture
; and the Izumisawa Kaizuka Site in Ishinomaki
, Miyagi Prefecture
. All the sites listed have been designated as Important Cultural Properties
.
Figurine
A figurine is a statuette that represents a human, deity or animal. Figurines may be realistic or iconic, depending on the skill and intention of the creator. The earliest were made of stone or clay...
s made during the late Jōmon period
Jomon period
The is the time in Japanese prehistory from about 14,000 BC to 300 BC.The term jōmon means "cord-patterned" in Japanese. This refers to the pottery style characteristic of the Jōmon culture, and which has markings made using sticks with cords wrapped around them...
(14,000–400 BCE) of prehistoric Japan. Dogū come entirely from the Jōmon period
Jomon period
The is the time in Japanese prehistory from about 14,000 BC to 300 BC.The term jōmon means "cord-patterned" in Japanese. This refers to the pottery style characteristic of the Jōmon culture, and which has markings made using sticks with cords wrapped around them...
and do not continue into the Yayoi period
Yayoi period
The is an Iron Age era in the history of Japan traditionally dated 300 BC to 300 AD. It is named after the neighbourhood of Tokyo where archaeologists first uncovered artifacts and features from that era. Distinguishing characteristics of the Yayoi period include the appearance of new...
. There are various styles of Dogū, depending on exhumation area and time period. According to the National Museum of Japanese History, the total number found throughout Japan is approximately 15,000. Most of the Dogū have been found in eastern Japan and it is rare to find one in western Japan. The purpose of the Dogū remains unclear but, most likely, the Dogū acted as effigies
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
of people, that manifested some kind of sympathetic magic
Sympathetic magic
Sympathetic magic, also known as imitative magic, is a type of magic based on imitation or correspondence.-Similarity and contagion:The theory of sympathetic magic was first developed by Sir James George Frazer in The Golden Bough...
. For example, it may have been believed that illnesses could be transferred into the Dogū, then destroyed, clearing the illness, or any other misfortune.
Ancient astronaut theorists suggest that some of the Dogū figurines may represent aliens in spacesuits.
Characteristics
Most of the figurines have big eyes, small waists, and wide hips of females and are considered by many to be representative of goddesses. Many have the large abdomens associated with pregnancy, suggesting that the Jomon considered them mother goddessMother goddess
Mother goddess is a term used to refer to a goddess who represents motherhood, fertility, creation or embodies the bounty of the Earth. When equated with the Earth or the natural world such goddesses are sometimes referred to as Mother Earth or as the Earth Mother.Many different goddesses have...
es. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
, these figurines "suggest an association with fertility and shamanistic rites". Made from clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
, these figurines were fashioned into fascinating shapes. The dogū tend to have large faces, small arms and hands and compact bodies. Some appear to wear goggles or have "heart-shaped" faces. Most have marks on the face, chest and shoulders, which suggest tattoo
Tattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
ing and probable incision with bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
.
Shakōki-dogū
Inuit snow goggles
Snow goggles are a type of eyewear traditionally used by the Inuit people of the Arctic to prevent snow blindness...
. Another distinguishing feature of the objects are the exaggerated (and possibly feminine) buttocks, chest and thighs. Furthermore, the abdomen is covered with patterns, many of which seem to have been painted with vermilion
Vermilion
Vermilion is an opaque orangish red pigment, similar to scarlet. As a naturally occurring mineral pigment, it is known as cinnabar, and was in use around the world before the Common Era began. Most naturally produced vermilion comes from cinnabar mined in China, and vermilion is nowadays commonly...
. The larger figures are hollow, presumably in order to prevent cracking during the firing process.
Unbroken figures are rare, and most are missing an arm, leg or other body part. In many cases, the parts have been cut off. One theory is that parts of the figures may have been cut off in fertility rituals.
These types of dogū have been found in the Kamegaoka Site in Tsugaru
Tsugaru, Aomori
is a city located in northeastern Aomori in Tōhoku region of Japan. As of 2009, the city had an estimated population of 37,957 and a density of 150 persons per km². Its total area was 253.85 km²...
, Aomori Prefecture
Aomori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku Region. The capital is the city of Aomori.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, the area of Aomori prefecture was known as Mutsu Province....
; the Teshiromori Site in Morioka
Morioka, Iwate
is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture, Japan.As of 2005, the city has an estimated population of 300,740 and a population density of 588.11 persons per km². The total area is 489.15 km²....
, Iwate Prefecture
Iwate Prefecture
is the second largest prefecture of Japan after Hokkaido. It is located in the Tōhoku region of Honshū island and contains the island's easternmost point. The capital is Morioka. Iwate has the lowest population density of any prefecture outside Hokkaido...
; the Ebisuda Site in Tajiri
Tajiri, Miyagi
was a town located in Tōda District, Miyagi, Japan.On March 31, 2006, Tajiri merged with the towns of Iwadeyama and Naruko, both from Tamatsukuri District, the towns of Kashimadai, Matsuyama and Sanbongi, all from Shida District, and the city of Furukawa to create the new city of Ōsaki...
, Miyagi Prefecture
Miyagi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...
; and the Izumisawa Kaizuka Site in Ishinomaki
Ishinomaki, Miyagi
is a city located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan.As of January 1, 2010, the city had an estimated population of 164,294 and a population density of 295.83 persons per km²...
, Miyagi Prefecture
Miyagi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku Region on Honshu island. The capital is Sendai.- History :Miyagi Prefecture was formerly part of the province of Mutsu. Mutsu Province, on northern Honshu, was one of the last provinces to be formed as land was taken from the indigenous Emishi, and became the...
. All the sites listed have been designated as Important Cultural Properties
Important Cultural Properties of Japan
The term is often shortened into just are items officially already classified as Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan by the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs and judged to be of particular importance to the Japanese people....
.
Dogū types
- "heart shaped (or crescent-shaped eyebrow) type" figurine
- "horned-owl type" figurine
- "goggle-eyed type" figurine
- "pregnant woman type" figurine etc.
In popular culture
- The DigimonDigimon, short for , is a Japanese media franchise encompassing digital toys, anime, manga and video games. The franchise's eponymous creatures are monsters of various forms living in a "Digital World", a parallel universe that originated from Earth's various communication networks.-Conception and...
Shakkoumon is based on a Shakkoudogū. - The Claydoll Dopant from Kamen Rider DoubleKamen Rider Doubleis a 2009-2010 Japanese tokusatsu drama, the eleventh series in the Heisei period run of the Kamen Rider Series. It premiered following the finale of Kamen Rider Decade on September 6, 2009, and aired alongside Samurai Sentai Shinkenger in TV Asahi's Super Hero Time programming block...
is based on a Shakkoudogū. - In Chōriki Sentai Ohranger, OhYellow pilots the Dogū Lander. The mecha is brought into the US series Power Rangers Zeo, renamed Zeo Zord 2.
- Pikarime of the Shakōkidogū from Tensou Sentai GoseigerTensou Sentai Goseigeris the title of Toei Company's thirty-fourth entry in its long-running Super Sentai Series of Japanese tokusatsu television series. It joined Kamen Rider W as a program featured in TV Asahi's Super Hero Time programming block, until the premiere of Kamen Rider OOO...
is based on Shakkoudogū. - The character HimikoHimikoHimiko or Pimiko was an obscure shaman queen of Yamataikoku in ancient Wa . Early Chinese dynastic histories chronicle tributary relations between Queen Himiko and the Cao Wei Kingdom , and record that the Yayoi period people chose her as ruler following decades of warfare among the kings of Wa...
from Warriors Orochi 2Warriors Orochi 2is a video game developed by Koei and Omega Force for the Sony PlayStation 2. It is the sequel to Warriors Orochi, a crossover video game of the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors series. The game was released on September 23 in North America and September 19 in Europe...
uses a pair of clay Dogū as her weapons. - The Yu-Gi-Oh!Yu-Gi-Oh!is a Japanese manga created by Kazuki Takahashi. It has produced a franchise that includes multiple anime shows, a trading card game and numerous video games...
card Maharaghi and Carat Idol is similar to a Shakkoudogū; while in the same game, the card Orichalcos Shunoros is directly based on it. - Kodai Shojo DoguchanThe Ancient Dogoo Girlis a Japanese comedy tokusatsu series directed by Noboru Iguchi, director of The Machine Girl and RoboGeisha. The show airs on MBS every Wednesday night at 25:25 JST. The ending theme is Denki Groove's .In October 2010, Dogoo Girl premiered its sequel...
s protagonist is a big breasted superheroine named Dogu-Chan with a motif based on the dogū statue. Her companion, Dokigoro, is a dogū statue variety dubbed "The Spaceman". - The boss of the intro stage in Megaman ZX Advent has design elements of a goggle-eyed dogū.
- A dogū enemy appears in the game OkamiOkamiis an action-adventure video game developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom. It was released for Sony's PlayStation 2 video game console in 2006 in Japan and North America, and 2007 in Europe and Australia...
. - A dogū appears at Mt. Mikage in Golden Sun: The Lost AgeGolden Sun: The Lost Ageis the second installment of a series of role-playing video games developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. The game was released in April 2003 for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance, being a sequel to the Game Boy Advance Golden Sun...
. It is deemed a Dancing Idol. It reappears in Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, as well as a giant dogū connected to the Apollo Lens. This is in conjuncture with Izumo being the Parallel of Japan on Weyard. - It appears in Naruto Shippuden 4: The Lost TowerNaruto Shippuden 4: The Lost Toweris the seventh overall Naruto film and the fourth Naruto Shippūden film. It was released on July 31, 2010, with advance ticket sale events scheduled for April 17 and June 19. the DVD version of the movie was released on April 27th 2011. Along with film a comical short feature named will be shown...
as Mukade's ninja puppet army. - In the Bakugan series Clayf resembles these figures.
- In ClannadClannadClannad are an Irish musical group, from Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal. Their music has been variously described as bordering on folk and folk rock, Irish, Celtic and New Age, often incorporating elements of an even broader spectrum of smooth jazz and Gregorian chant...
Tomoya asks Mei to get him a dogū. - The PokémonPokémonis a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
Baltoy and Claydol are based on the dogū. - Huitzil's form in "Darkstalkers is modeled after dogu figurines from the Jimon period of Japan's history.
- Arahabaki, a prominent deity of the KofunKofunKofun are megalithic tombs or tumuli in Japan, constructed between the early 3rd century and early 7th century. They gave their name to the Kofun period . Many of the Kofun have a distinctive keyhole-shaped mound , unique to ancient Japan...
period, appears as an iron cast of this kind in the Megami TenseiMegami Tensei, commonly abbreviated as , is a Japanese console role-playing game metaseries which was originally based on the novel series Digital Devil Story by Aya Nishitani and has gone to become one of the major franchises of the genre in its native country...
video game series. This may be a traditional representation of the now demonized deity. - The SpectrobesSpectrobes, is a science fiction video game that was developed by Kyoto-based game developer Jupiter, known for being the developer of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, and published by Disney Interactive Studios for the Nintendo DS...
series also consist of monster which based on dogū known as Danawa.
See also
- HaniwaHaniwaThe are terracotta clay figures which were made for ritual use and buried with the dead as funerary objects during the Kofun period of the history of Japan....
- Jōmon period, JapanJomon periodThe is the time in Japanese prehistory from about 14,000 BC to 300 BC.The term jōmon means "cord-patterned" in Japanese. This refers to the pottery style characteristic of the Jōmon culture, and which has markings made using sticks with cords wrapped around them...
- National Treasures of JapanNational treasures of JapanNational Treasures are the most precious of Japan's Tangible Cultural Properties, as determined and designated by the Agency for Cultural Affairs...
- Tokyo National MuseumTokyo National MuseumEstablished 1872, the , or TNM, is the oldest and largest museum in Japan. The museum collects, houses, and preserves a comprehensive collection of art works and archaeological objects of Asia, focusing on Japan. The museum holds over 110,000 objects, which includes 87 Japanese National Treasure...