Jomon Flat Clay Figures

Sannai Maruyama Site Museum
Aomori, Japan

These figures can be compared to the better-known Dogu (clay figures in the round); in neither case do we know exactly what they represent, but both kinds of figure convey a sense of mysteriousness and importance to the viewer.

The punch marking on these and similar figures is typical of Jomon decoration; see Oyu Stone Circles, for some comparable but less elaborate examples.