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Humanitarian sciences in Siberia

2014 year, number

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF MIDDLE JЕЊMON CERAMICS FOUND ON THE ISLAND OF HONSHU

D.A. Ivanova
Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IAE SB RAS), Russia, 630090, Novosibirsk, prospect Akad. Lavrentieva, 17
Keywords: Japan, Honshu Island, JЕЌmon culture, Middle period, ceramics, ornament

Abstract

This study is devoted to description and analysis of the styles of the Middle Jōmon ceramics on island of Honshu. The work is based on the analysis of Japanese materials dealing with this topic. The study of ceramic production is key in understanding the particular features of the Jōmon culture. The Middle Jōmon has not been a random choice for examination: this is a period of peak development in the ornamental traditions, when along with the experience of previous periods, completely new types of patterns and techniques emerged and spread in the ornaments of the region. Starting from the northern territories of Honshu (the Tōhoku area) and ending with western prefectures (the Chugoku area), the author analyzes five most expressive ceramic styles. Each of these styles represents not just a unique phenomenon of art, but rather an ensemble of ornamental features of both preceding styles and of the adjacent stylystic zones. In each of the selected styles the author finds common features typical of the Jōmon culture along with some unique and previously unknown patterns. The Middle Jōmon period was chosen for the study due to the fact that it was a period of emergence of a completely new ornamental technique, unknown in this region - an application technique. The development of a new technique marked the appearance of new decoration patterns. For this stage of the Jōmon culture’s development among the typical ornamental motives were anthropomorphic, zoomorphic and amorphic images. Various reliefs imitating human faces, animals, birds and at times flame were widespread. Having passed all stages of development, the ornamental technique of Middle Jōmon existed for only about a thousand years, without leaving any heritage for the following generations. It is still unclear why, after reaching its peak in the middle of Middle Jōmon during the existence of the Kaen style, the application technique gradually became obsolete.