Shakoki Dogu

1000-300 BC, from Kamegaoka
Tokyo National Museum

Dogu are small clay figurines that were made by the Jomon people. These enigmatic figures have inspired different interpretations that include ritual activity, goddess cult statues, or even toys. Possibly they could have had more than one such meaning to the people who made them, depending on their iconography or the particular community where they were used.

Shakoki means "goggles" in Japanese. This goggle-eyed female (note the small breasts) is wearing a snow mask, like those traditionally worn by people in northern Japan. Incised relief depicts additional details of the figure's skirt-like costume. This is a well-known type of dogu, and there are many similar examples.

The unusual appearance of the figure's legs has a surprising parallel in Malta, of all places: a fat lady statue from Tarxien. It must be pure coincidence (parallel invention), but is still quite striking.