Los Haniwa (埴輪 Haniwa?) son figuras de terracota que fueron elaboradas para su uso en rituales y enterradas como objetos funerarios durante el período Kofun de la historia de Japón, periodo durante el cual se desarrolló una clase aristócrata de gobernantes militares, los cuales quedaron representados en los haniwa. Los haniwa más importantes fueron encontrados en Honshū, especialmente en la región Kinai, y la parte norte de Kyūshū. Debido a que los haniwa muestran la vestimenta, arquitectura y herramientas de ese periodo, estas esculturas constituyen un archivo histórico de gran importancia. Las grandes sepulturas de los emperadores Ōjin (346-395) y Nintoku (395-427), donde aparecieron diversas joyas, armas, sarcófagos de piedra o terracota, cerámica y unas figuras antropomórficas de terracota llamadas haniwa, formadas por un pedestal cilíndrico y un medio busto. Estas estatuillas eran de unos 60 centímetros, sin apenas expresión, tan sólo unas hendiduras en los ojos y la boca, aunque constituyen una muestra de gran relevancia del arte de esta época. Según su vestimenta y utensilios se distinguen diversos oficios en estas figuras, como granjeros, soldados, sacerdotisas, cortesanas, músicos y bailarines. A finales de este período también aparecieron figurillas de animales, especialmente ciervos, perros, caballos, jabalís, gatos, pollos, ovejas y peces. \n* Haniwa de un gobernante (Funazuka Kofun). \n* Haniwa de un cacique, Ibaraki, circa 500 AD. \n* Haniwa de soldado (Funazuka Kofun). \n* Haniwa de soldado (Funazuka Kofun). \n* Haniwa de un caballo, completo con silla de montar y estribos, siglo VI. \n* Haniwa de una maqueta funeraria. \n* Haniwa de un barco.

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The Haniwa (埴輪) are terracotta clay figures which were made for ritual use and buried with the dead as funerary objects during the Kofun period (3rd to 6th centuries AD) of the history of Japan. Haniwa were created according to the wazumi technique, in which mounds of coiled clay were built up to shape the figure, layer by layer. The Haniwa were made with water-based clay and dried into a coarse and absorbent material that stood the test of time. Their name means “circle of clay” referring to how they were arranged in a circle above the tomb. The protruding parts of the figures were made separately and then attached, while a few things were carved into them. They were smoothed out by a wooden paddle. Earth terraces were arranged to place them with a cylindrical base into the ground, where the earth would hold them in place. During the Kofun period, a highly aristocratic society with militaristic rulers developed. The cavalry wore iron armor, carried swords and other weapons, and used advanced military methods like those of Northeast Asia. Many of them are represented in haniwa figurines for funerary purposes. The most important of the haniwa were found in southern Honshū—especially the Kinai region around Nara—and northern Kyūshū. Haniwa grave offerings were made in numerous forms, such as horses, chickens, birds, fans, fish, houses, weapons, shields, sunshades, pillows, and male and female humans. Besides decorative and spiritual reasons of protecting the deceased in his afterlife, these figures also served as a sort of retaining wall for the burial mound. Because these haniwa display the contemporary clothing, hairstyle, farming tools, and architecture, these sculptures are important as a historical archive of the Kofun Period. Every day pottery item from that period are called Haji pottery.

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