dotaku

E420812

Dotaku are ancient Japanese bronze ritual bells from the Yayoi period, often intricately decorated and believed to have been used in agricultural or ceremonial contexts.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
dotaku canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Japanese cultural property
archaeological artifact
bronze bell
ritual bell
associatedWith fertility rites
rainmaking rituals
rice agriculture
classification Japanese bronze ritual implements
color greenish-brown patina
countryOfOrigin Japan
culture Yayoi period
surface form: Yayoi culture
decoration agricultural scenes
animal motifs
geometric patterns
human figures
decorationTechnique casting in relief
earliestAppearance around 2nd century BCE
hasPart clapperless hollow body
suspension loop
historicalPeriod Yayoi period NERFINISHED
latestCommonUse around 3rd century CE
manufacturingMethod lost-wax casting
material bronze
museumCollection Kyoto National Museum ONNED1
Nara National Museum NERFINISHED
Tokyo National Museum
notableFeature non-functional as everyday bells
thin bronze walls
possibleFunction agricultural ritual implement
ceremonial object
status symbol
primaryFunction ritual use
region Chugoku region NERFINISHED
Kinki region NERFINISHED
Shikoku NERFINISHED
northern Kyushu
western Japan
relatedTo Chinese bronze bells
Korean bronze culture
shape elongated
slightly flattened cylinder
soundProduction struck externally
symbolism agricultural prosperity
authority
connection to deities
typicalHeight 20–130 cm
typicalLocationFound burial sites
hilltops
isolated ritual sites

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.