A group of five stone carvings

EARLY KOFUN PERIOD (4TH CENTURY)

Details

A group of five stone carvings
Early Kofun period (4th century)
The oval carved stone ring in shell form, finely polished and designed with incised radial lines; the v-shaped ornament stone designed with borders; the circular carved stone designed with carved radial grooves on front and reverse sides; the carved stone ornament in circular truncated comic form with a central hole, finely polished; the carved stone ornament in cylindrical form, designed with carved borders
1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) diameter; 1 ¾ in. (4.5 cm.) long; 2 ½ in. (6.4 cm.) diameter; 1./58 in. (4.1 cm.) diameter and 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm.) long

Provenance

Nagao Ukichi
Nagao Museum, Osaka, Japan

Lot Essay

These stone carvings, of jasper or steatite, resemble shells, and larger examples are often in the form of “bracelets.” Examples in American collections can be found in the Harry Packard Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Avery Brundage Collection at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco; and the Seattle Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. John C. Atwood, Jr.. Regional leaders of the Kofun (Old Tomb) period buried these stone carvings and bracelets in their tombs to glorify and ensure eternal life for the deceased. They also buried armor and swords (see lots 2 and 3).

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