Ceramic Coffin

Unknown artist

Kofun (or Asuka) period, 7th century

Tokyo National Museum

A rectangular ceramic coffin with a gabled roof sits on eight cylindrical legs. The front of the coffin is decorated with carved figures and patterns. This earthen coffin is made of reddish-brown unglazed pottery fired at a relatively low temperature, a feature it shares with Haniwa tomb sculptures and other earthenware. It is shaped like a house and has a lid in the shape of a gable roof. The body of the coffin is supported by twelve cylindrical legs. It is large enough for an adult human to lie down inside, meaning that it would have been difficult to fire without it losing its shape. Its makers seem to have dealt with this issue with ingenuity to fire this coffin more effectively. The legs have holes to let air escape, and both the coffin and lid are divided in two down the cen