Dogū

Dogū (Japanese: 土偶; IPA: [do̞ɡɯ̟ː]; literally "earthen figure") are small humanoid and animal figurines made during the later part of the Jōmon period (14,000–400 BCE) of prehistoric Japan. Dogū come exclusively from the Jōmon period, and were no longer made by the following Yayoi period. There are various styles of dogū, depending on the exhumation area and time period. The National Museum of Japanese History estimates that the total number of dogū is approximately 15,000, while The Japan Times places the figure at approximately 18,000. Dogū were made across all of Japan, except Okinawa. Most of the dogū have been found in eastern Japan and it is rare to find one in western Japan. The purpose of the dogū remains unknown and should not be confused with the clay haniwa funerary objects of the Kofun period (250 – 538 CE). Everyday ceramic items from the period are called Jōmon pottery.