Cap de cavall, haniwa

This horse¿s head formed part of a haniwa figure, fired clay sculptures used to protect and accompany the deceased after death. The haniwa, literally ¿circles of clay¿ in Japanese, are some of the most representative artistic examples of the Kofun period, between the 3rd and 6th centuries AD. During this period large funerary mounds were built that often adopted the form of a keyhole above the tom…