Head of a Clay Figure (Dogū)

Head of a Clay Figure (Dogū)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This head was once attached to a dogū clay figure, a kind of ceramic sculpture particular to the Jōmon period of Japanese history. The vast majority of dogū are not found intact, most having their heads or limbs removed or bodies broken. It is unknown exactly why dogū were broken before being discarded, but some theories contend that the dogū represented a kind of “earth mother” figure, and that breaking the dogū propagated the spirit of the “earth mother” in order to bring fertility to the land.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Head of a Clay Figure (Dogū)Head of a Clay Figure (Dogū)Head of a Clay Figure (Dogū)Head of a Clay Figure (Dogū)Head of a Clay Figure (Dogū)

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.