Jōmon Venus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Jōmon Venus (縄文のビーナス, Jōmon no Bīnasu) is a dogū, a humanoid clay female figurine from the Middle Jōmon period (3,000–2,000 BC),[2] discovered in 1986 in Chino, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It was designated a National Treasure in 1995, the first Jōmon-period artifact to be so designated.[2][3]
Jōmon Venus | |
---|---|
Material | Clay |
Size | Height: 27 cm (11 in) Weight: 2.14 kg (4.7 lb)[1] |
Created | ca. 3,000–2,000 BC |
Period/culture | Middle Jōmon period |
Discovered | 1986 Tanabatake (棚畑) site, Yonezawa (米沢), Chino, Nagano |
Present location | Togariishi Museum of Jōmon Archaeology, Chino, Nagano, Japan |
The dogū is an ocher-colored clay statuette 27 cm (11 in) high and weighing 2.14 kg (4.7 lb).[3] The clay from which it is made has been carefully polished and contains mica.[3] Its shape is thought to resemble a pregnant woman: broad hips, a pronounced gluteal arch, prominent breasts and an enlarged belly.[3] In contrast to the overwhelming majority of the 20,000 dogū found in Japan, which were fragmented, the Venus of Jōmon is complete and has all its limbs.[3]