Decorated kofun explained
is the term used for kofun or ancient Japanese tombs ornamented with painted or carved decoration. The tombs take the form of tumuli or earthen mounds piled over stone chambers as well as caves excavated from the living rock. The decoration may be on the inner walls, on stone screens, on sarcophagi or, in the case of cave tombs, around the entrance on the exterior. Of the 161,560 ancient burials identified to date, around two hundred and fifty are so decorated.[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Motifs
Decorative motifs include the chokkomon (an X-shape forming triangular zones that intersect irregular curves), circles, concentric circles, triangles, human figures, horses, birds, boats, swords, shields, and quivers.[6] [7]
List of decorated kofun
This list is of the decorated kofun of ancient Japan, located in Fukuoka prefecture.[8] [9] [10]
| Image | Kofun | Municipality | Date | Tomb style | Decoration | Designation | Coordinates | Database |
|---|
| Urayama kofun | Kurume | 450-500 | keyhole | incised (and red) concentric circles, chokkomon, kagitemon, triangles in a continuous pattern | Historic Site https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/401/2641 | 33.2849°N 130.5357°W | https://web.archive.org/web/20160305011320/http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/d_frame.php/40/36/ |
| Nichirinji KofunNichirinji kofun | Kurume | 475-525 | keyhole | relief and incised (and red) concentric circles, chokkomon, kagitemon | Historic Site https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/401/2600 | 33.3205°N 130.4985°W | https://web.archive.org/web/20160304110303/http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/d_frame.php/40/37/ |
| Yamanoshita kofun | Kurume | | round | red; indistinct | | | |
| Shimobaba kofun | Kurume | 575-600 | round | red and blue concentric circles, triangles, and shields | Historic Site https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/401/2638 | 33.3138°N 130.6228°W | https://web.archive.org/web/20131204093646/http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/d_frame.php/40/2/ |
| Tōkō-ji Kenzuka kofun | Fukuoka | 525-575 | keyhole | incised boats | | 33.5738°N 130.4328°W | http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/d_frame.php/40/55/ |
| Sakurakyō nigō kofun | Munakata | 550-600 | keyhole | red and green triangles, in a continuous pattern | Historic Site https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/401/2674 | 33.8439°N 130.4953°W | https://web.archive.org/web/20160304191952/http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/d_frame.php/40/56/ |
| Haburakan yokoana bogun | Nakama | 575-650 | | incised boats | | 33.8158°N 130.6986°W | http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/d_frame.php/40/60/ |
| Seto jūyongō yokoana | Nakama | |
- replica at the
| red boats, human figures, horses, and birds | | 33.8178°N 130.6997°W | |
| Doinouchi yokoana | Nakama | | | incised boats | | 33.819°N 130.7003°W | |
| Furutsuki yokoana bogun | Kurate | 550-650 | | whitened and incised indistinct grid pattern | Historic Site https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/401/2623 | 33.8038°N 130.6692°W | http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/d_frame.php/40/62/ |
| Takehara KofunTakehara kofun | Miyawaka | 550-600 | round | black and red human figure, horse, dragon, fans, boat, waves | Historic Site https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/401/2648 | 33.7331°N 130.6105°W | https://web.archive.org/web/20160304225911/http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/d_frame.php/40/25/ |
| Ōzuka KofunŌzuka kofun | Keisen | 525-575 | keyhole | red, green, yellow and black circles, concentric circles, triangles, birds, circular patterns with twin feet, vegetal motifs, quivers, bows, swords, shields, riders | Special Historic Site https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/401/2631 | 33.5887°N 130.6636°W | https://web.archive.org/web/20160304125602/http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/d_frame.php/40/23/ |
| Togami Kannonzuka kofun | Chikuzen | 575-600 | round | red circles, boats, riders | | 33.4811°N 130.6063°W | http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/d_frame.php/40/20/ |
| Kitsunezuka kofun | Asakura | 600-625 | round | incised circles, concentric circles, boats, horses | | 33.3882°N 130.7128°W | https://web.archive.org/web/20160304120457/http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/d_frame.php/40/51/ |
| Miyajidake kofun | Asakura | | round | red and blue circles | | 33.3987°N 130.7282°W | |
| Gorōyama KofunGorōyama kofun | Chikushino | 550-600 | round | red, black, and green quivers, bows, boats, houses, horses, birds, human figures, riders | Historic Site https://kunishitei.bunka.go.jp/heritage/detail/401/2640 | 33.4519°N 130.5452°W | https://web.archive.org/web/20160304191748/http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/d_frame.php/40/22/ | |
| Haginoo KofunHaginoo kofun | Ōmuta | c.600 | round | red and black; concentric circles, triangles, quivers, bows, boats | Historic Site https://bunka.nii.ac.jp/db/heritages/detail/202866 | 33.0031°N 130.4708°W | https://web.archive.org/web/20160304191748/http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/d_frame.php/40/22/ |
|
See also
External links
Notes and References
- Book: ja:装飾古墳 . Decorated Kofun . Japanese, English . Kobayashi Yukio . Heibonsha . 1964 . 124–8.
- Book: Early Japanese Art: the Great Tombs and Treasures . Kidder, J. Edward . . 1964 . 110–170, 272–324.
- Web site: http://www.hyogo-c.ed.jp/~shabun-bo/gyouseisituhp/top/kihonkousou/6(4).pdf . ja:兵庫県の遺跡・遺物数の全国的な位置 . Numeric Comparison of Historic Sites in Hyōgo Prefecture with National Totals . Japanese . . 10 August 2013.
- Web site: http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/ . ja:装飾古墳データベース . Decorated Tomb Database . Japanese . . 10 August 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130816022032/http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/ . 16 August 2013 . dead .
- "Japanese terms: ; ; ; ; ;
- Web site: http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/index.php/1/-/-/-/-/-/-/m_frame.php . ja:文様 . Decorated Tomb Database: Motifs . Japanese . . 10 August 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20091207195443/http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/index.php/1/-/-/-/-/-/-/m_frame.php . 7 December 2009 . dead .
- Japanese terms: ; ; ; ; ;
- Book: Otomasu Shigetaka. Kodansha. 1974. 152–160. Japanese. ja:装飾古墳の文様. Decorated Kofun and their Motifs.
- Web site: http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/kofun_list.php. Kyushu National Museum. Japanese. ja:古墳一覧. List of Kofun. 12 August 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20131204104031/http://kyuhaku.jmc.or.jp/kofun_list.php. 4 December 2013. dead.
- Book: Asahi Shimbun. 1993. National Museum of Japanese History. National Museum of Japanese History. Japanese. ja:装飾古墳の世界. Special Exhibition: Decorated Tombs in Japan.
