(In)tangible archaeology of colours: permanent marks on anthropomorphic haniwa and tattooing in Kofun-period Japan

Elisabetta Colla

doi:10.14568/cp36234

Authors

Elisabetta Colla Faculdade de Letras Universidade de Lisboa, CH-ULISBOA, UNIARQ, Portugal https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7480-5184

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14568/cp36234

Keywords:

Kofun Period, Haniwa, Irezumi, Archaeology of colours

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to understand the meaning and function of reddish pigments present on the surface of anthropomorphic haniwa of the Kofun period. In Japan, the practice of tattooing (irezumi), whose symbolic meaning has changed over time, can be traced back to the Jōmon period. Tattooing is generally considered an intangible cultural heritage (ICH): the transience of human bodies significantly contributes to the archaeological impermanence of this practice except in the case of artificial intervention or natural accidental preservation. The presence of reddish decorative motives on both the face and the body of haniwa raises many questions triggering diverse interpretative scenarios. Haniwa are terracotta figures, placed outside the mounded tombs as an integral part of the funerary rituals and religious practices of protohistoric Japan, and in this sense, they are considered valuable objects not only for reconstructing the burial rituals, but also for Kofun society.

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