Fall 2022 - The Figure

18
7 × 4 1/2 × 1 3/4”
4 1/2 × 5 × 1 3/8”
1500–500 BC
This Japanese dogu, or clay figurine, depicts a
heavily decorated person. The body shape is typical
of the Final Jomon period (c. 1000–300 BC), but
the headdress is markedly different—it consists of a
circular headpiece topped by rectangular protrusions.
The purpose of dogu remains a mystery: nearly all
surviving examples are broken at the arms, legs,
or waist, leading scholars to believe they were
deliberately fragmented, possibly to heal the sick by
releasing bad spirits. They also speculate that these
figures are wearing masks—possibly representing the
transformation of the human into the superhuman.
11th century
Figural imagery is widely appreciated in the secular sphere of
Islamic art. This handle or doorknocker fashioned in the form
of a man was most likely placed in a secular setting like a private
home. On the man’s clothes, gold and silver inlay create delicate
knot-scroll motifs characterized by endless loops and dizzying
geometric patterns.