(Metropolitan Museum of Art)[1]
Kuwagata-ishi (鍬形石), sometimes translated as "hoe-shaped stones",[2] "hoe-shaped bracelets",[1] or "plough-shaped stones",[3] are a type of archaeological artefact known from Kofun-period Japan.
Overview
Kuwagata-ishi take the form of a stone bracelet[3] in the shape of a hoe.[1] Their development has been traced back to shell bracelets and/or armlets of the Yayoi period.[4][5][6] Alongside sharin-seki ("carriage-wheel stones") and ishi-kushiro ("stone bracelets"), kuwagata-ishi are one of the three types of bracelet-shaped stone artefact known in large numbers from kofun of the early- to mid-Kofun period.[5] While they may have been worn as pendants, it is thought their primary function was to serve as grave goods.[4][6]
National Treasures
A series of twenty-four fourth-century jasper kuwagata-ishi from Tōdaijiyama Kofun in Tenri, Nara Prefecture, is among the assemblage of objects (including the Tōdaijiyama Sword) from the tumulus designated a National Treasure in 2017 and now at Tokyo National Museum.[7][8]
Gallery
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![Kuwagata-ishi from Chausuzuka Kofun [ja], Osaka Prefecture](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1b/%E8%8C%B6%E8%87%BC%E5%A1%9A%E5%8F%A4%E5%A2%B3_%28%E6%9F%8F%E5%8E%9F%E5%B8%82%29_%E5%87%BA%E5%9C%9F_%E7%A2%A7%E7%8E%89%E8%A3%BD%E8%85%95%E9%A3%BE%E3%82%8A_%28%E9%8D%AC%E5%BD%A2%E7%9F%B3%29.JPG/114px-%E8%8C%B6%E8%87%BC%E5%A1%9A%E5%8F%A4%E5%A2%B3_%28%E6%9F%8F%E5%8E%9F%E5%B8%82%29_%E5%87%BA%E5%9C%9F_%E7%A2%A7%E7%8E%89%E8%A3%BD%E8%85%95%E9%A3%BE%E3%82%8A_%28%E9%8D%AC%E5%BD%A2%E7%9F%B3%29.JPG)
Kuwagata-ishi from Chausuzuka Kofun, Osaka Prefecture -
Hoes of recent times in Saga Prefecture -
![Kuwagata-ishi (NT) from Tōdaijiyama Kofun [ja]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3a/%E6%9D%B1%E5%A4%A7%E5%AF%BA%E5%B1%B1%E5%8F%A4%E5%A2%B3%E5%87%BA%E5%9C%9F_%E9%8D%AC%E5%BD%A2%E7%9F%B3.JPG/120px-%E6%9D%B1%E5%A4%A7%E5%AF%BA%E5%B1%B1%E5%8F%A4%E5%A2%B3%E5%87%BA%E5%9C%9F_%E9%8D%AC%E5%BD%A2%E7%9F%B3.JPG)
Kuwagata-ishi (NT) from Tōdaijiyama Kofun -
![Kuwagata-ishi, sharin-seki, and ishi-kushiro from Kajiya Kofun [ja] in Kyōtango](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/82/%E3%82%AB%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A4%E5%8F%A4%E5%A2%B3_%E9%8D%AC%E5%BD%A2%E7%9F%B3%E3%83%BB%E8%BB%8A%E8%BC%AA%E7%9F%B3%E3%83%BB%E7%9F%B3%E9%87%A7.JPG/120px-%E3%82%AB%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A4%E5%8F%A4%E5%A2%B3_%E9%8D%AC%E5%BD%A2%E7%9F%B3%E3%83%BB%E8%BB%8A%E8%BC%AA%E7%9F%B3%E3%83%BB%E7%9F%B3%E9%87%A7.JPG)
![Kuwagata-ishi from Chausuzuka Kofun [ja], Osaka Prefecture](https://kihulane.eu/encyclopedia/martin-helme?rdp_we_resource=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3A%25E8%258C%25B6%25E8%2587%25BC%25E5%25A1%259A%25E5%258F%25A4%25E5%25A2%25B3_%28%25E6%259F%258F%25E5%258E%259F%25E5%25B8%2582%29_%25E5%2587%25BA%25E5%259C%259F_%25E7%25A2%25A7%25E7%258E%2589%25E8%25A3%25BD%25E8%2585%2595%25E9%25A3%25BE%25E3%2582%258A_%28%25E9%258D%25AC%25E5%25BD%25A2%25E7%259F%25B3%29.JPG)
![Kuwagata-ishi (NT) from Tōdaijiyama Kofun [ja]](https://kihulane.eu/encyclopedia/martin-helme?rdp_we_resource=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3A%25E6%259D%25B1%25E5%25A4%25A7%25E5%25AF%25BA%25E5%25B1%25B1%25E5%258F%25A4%25E5%25A2%25B3%25E5%2587%25BA%25E5%259C%259F_%25E9%258D%25AC%25E5%25BD%25A2%25E7%259F%25B3.JPG)
![Kuwagata-ishi, sharin-seki, and ishi-kushiro from Kajiya Kofun [ja] in Kyōtango](https://kihulane.eu/encyclopedia/martin-helme?rdp_we_resource=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFile%3A%25E3%2582%25AB%25E3%2582%25B8%25E3%2583%25A4%25E5%258F%25A4%25E5%25A2%25B3_%25E9%258D%25AC%25E5%25BD%25A2%25E7%259F%25B3%25E3%2583%25BB%25E8%25BB%258A%25E8%25BC%25AA%25E7%259F%25B3%25E3%2583%25BB%25E7%259F%25B3%25E9%2587%25A7.JPG)
See also
References
- ^ a b c "Hoe-shaped bracelet (kuwagataishi)". Metropolitan Museum of Art. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ "The Tombs of Yamato – The Todaijiyama Tumulus and the Sword of Mystery". Tokyo National Museum. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ a b "kushiro 釧". Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ a b Harada, Yoshito. "Sharin-seki and Kuwagata-ishi" (PDF). University of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo. pp. 6–7. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ a b Shiraishi, Taichirō [in Japanese] (31 October 2003). 考古学からみた聖俗二重首長制 [An Archaeological View of the Dual System of Religious and Secular Chieftainship]. Bulletin of the National Museum of Japanese History (in Japanese). 108: 93–118.
- ^ a b 鍬形石 [Kuwagata-ishi] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ 鍬形石 [Hoe-shaped stone objects] (in Japanese). National Institutes for Cultural Heritage. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
- ^ 奈良県東大寺山古墳出土品 [Excavated Artefacts from Tōdaijiyama Kofun, Nara Prefecture] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
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