Unearthed by Mike Jefferies

Japan

The Balkans

Hokkaido Romania

Aomori

Kosova Albania

Macedonia

Niigata Gunma

Main areas where figurines in unearthed were found

Timeline The Balkans

Sˇuplevec-Bakarno Gumno culture (Republic of Macedonia) Vincˇa culture (Romania) Gumelnit¸a culture (Romania) Anzabegovo-Vrsˇ nik III culture (Republic of Macedonia) Hamangia culture (Romania) Cucuteni culture (Romania) Middle Neolithic (Albania) Early Neolithic (Albania)

300 BC–300 AD 1000–300 BC 1500–1000 BC 2500–1500 BC 4200 BC 4500–3500 BC 4600–3900 BC 5000 BC 5300–4200 BC 5500–4000 BC 5500–4000 BC 5800–4800 BC 6500–5800 BC 8000 BC 14,000–8000 BC

Japan Yayoi period Final Jo¯mon Late Jo¯mon Middle Jo¯mon

Early Jo¯mon

Initial Jo¯mon Incipient Jo¯mon

Introduction Left to right: Hollow clay figure, Chobonaino, Hokkaido Late Jo¯ mon (1500–1000 BC) H: 41.5 cm Replica of a National Treasure Hakodate Municipal Board of Education, Japan

unearthed presents some of the most remarkable and evocative objects from the ancient world: clay figures based on the human form, some 5,000 years old. Like any archaeological project, unearthed brings encounters with items that challenge ideas about what people in the past were like, how they lived, what they did and why they did it that way.

Goddess figurine, Grimes Graves, Norfolk Neolithic/Modern The British Museum BM.1959,0712B.96 © The Trustees of the British Museum

The exhibition brings together objects from Japan and the Balkans, two regions unconnected in the ancient past, except that they were occupied by people who were experimenting with new ways of life, dwelling in settled villages, and making some of the earliest and most appealing clay figures in the world.

The Great Mother, Tumba, Madzari, Skopje Anzabegovo-Vrsˇnik lll culture (5300–4200 BC) H: 39.0 cm Replica Museum of Macedonia

The people who made these clay figures were fully modern human beings: they had language, felt emotions, were driven by desires, and experienced a sense of awe as they tried to make sense of their world. One way they did this was to make small clay figures inspired by the human body. Making things in miniature opened up a new way of experiencing life, a way shared by people in cultures both different and distant.

unearthed also provides insights into what archaeologists think they know and what they do not, how they have been duped, how they give meaning to their discoveries – through writing, drawing, photography – and how their findings are used in the creation of a modern sense of identity. Archaeologists constantly ask questions about what they have unearthed, and find that clay figures, even if not easy to understand, are particularly good to think with. Since their discovery over 100 years ago, these clay figures have captured the hearts and imaginations not only of the archaeologists who unearthed them, but of artists, writers and the public. What they were for? Why did people make these fascinating art objects? Indeed, can they be thought of as art at all? After a century of painstaking archaeological investigation, recording and interpretation, although we know much more about the lives of the people who made these clay figures, we also have many more questions than answers. Were the figurines gods? Humans? Ancestors? Or were they toys or dolls? The contemporary art works in unearthed help us address these questions. As responses to the ancient figurines and the miniature, they help us encounter the Japanese and Balkan clay figures in new ways, and encourage us to think of new questions which can help us understand and appreciate these objects and the thinking behind their interpretation. The unearthed team

Contemporary responses to figurines What were prehistoric figurines for? Why were they made? What happens when they are broken? unearthed explores contemporary art as a mechanism to answer some of these questions and to pose new ones. In works by Sarah Beare, Shaun Caton, Claude Heath, Miklos Gaal, Nickolas Muray, Jonah Samson, Kuwashima Tsunaki and Hoshino Yukinobu, along with new figurines made by Norfolk-based artist Sue Maufe, fresh inspiration can be found that transcends normal archaeological engagement with remains from the past. Archaeologists draw on a wide range of experiences and knowledge to interpret the past. The contemporary responses to figurines and the miniature in unearthed, along with the modern-day dolls which present a kind of serious play, can elicit significances just as valid as the archaeological tools and recording techniques used to objectify observations and establish context. All these materials can be understood as found objects, and have the potential to provide hints and clues to what small clay figures are all about. These objects evoke a variety of responses, from surprise or even shock to the satisfaction that comes from recognition of the familiar, from amusement to bewilderment, from admiration to adoration. Through this welter of emotions perhaps we can approach the figurines in a way closer to the experience of the Jo¯mon and Balkan Neolithic. And then bring ourselves back to our own reality by breaking our figurine: snap! a momentary disruption of our connection to our constructed and imaginary pasts.

Clockwise from top right: Kuwashima Tsunaki, 2009, Dogu¯ with decorative incised body from the series Kuon, Ishinotsubo,

Yamanashi, Middle Jo¯ mon (2500–1500 BC), platinum palladium print, Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures;

Hoshino Yukinobu, 2009, Professor Munakata with ancient Japanese treasures and the Sutton Hoo helmet, 2009, ink on board JA2009,3020.1

Chapmans’ Dead Guys, 2004, Lego, lent by the artists; Shaun Caton, 2010, Dogu¯ Head Dream (detail), gouache on paper, lent by the artist;

Clockwise from top left: (page from) Figures from Japanese Dolmens, The British Museum (Japanese Section Library) ÂŠ The Trustees of the

British Museum; Sarah Beare, Playing in Time, 2010, animation, lent by the artist; Nickolas Muray, 20th Century, Frida Kahlo with

Olmeca figurine, CoyoacĂĄn, colour carbon print, lent by Douglass Bailey; Meri Anicin Pejoska, The Bride, 2005, steel, copper,

lent by the artist; Claude Heath, Venus of Willendorf, 1997, acrylic and oil-based paints with chalk dust, lent by the artist

Japan

Figurine heads, Sannai Maruyama, Aomori Prefecture, Late Jo¯ mon (1500–1000 BC), H: 3.0–9.2 cm, Aomori Prefectural Board of Education, Japan

Japan

The University Museum, University of Tokyo

About 14,000 years ago, people living in what is now the Japanese archipelago began to make pottery vessels out of fired clay. As they experimented and refined their techniques, they added to their repertoire simple objects seemingly inspired by the human body, with just enough of a hint of breasts, hips, waist to make them recognisable to us. More than 18,000 clay figures, or dogu¯, have now been recorded from across Japan. In Japan the first villages were constructed and occupied by people whose needs were met by the surrounding environment: fishers, gatherers and hunters. But their sophisticated ceramics and profound knowledge of the world they inhabited show they were anything but primitive.

The University Museum at the University of Tokyo holds some 450 pieces of dogu¯ dating to the Jo¯mon period. A large part of this collection, kept by the museum’s Department of Anthropology and Prehistory, was added during the 1890s and the early 20th century, when anthropology and archaeology were being developed as scientific disciplines in Japan, and its historical value is significant. This is the first time the University Museum has allowed any of these objects to be displayed overseas.

The collection includes a fragment of dogu¯ from the excavation in 1877 of the O¯mori shell midden in Tokyo by Edward Sylvester Morse (1838–1925), an American zoologist and orientalist; this project is considered by many to have been the first The dogu¯ in unearthed are from central and scientific archaeological excavation carried out eastern Japan. One group is from Niigata Prefecture, in Japan. Also in the collection are important finds around the city of Nagaoka, which sits astride the from excavations in the To¯hoku and Kanto¯ regions Shinano River, the longest river in the whole by scholars (including O¯no Nobutaro¯, Sato¯ Denzo¯ archipelago: these dogu¯ come from sites associated and Yagi So¯zaburo¯) associated with Tsuboi Sho¯goro¯ with the elaborate ‘flame style’ pottery of the Middle (1863–1913), the first professor of anthropology Jo¯mon period (c.2500–1500 BC). Another group at the Tokyo Imperial University (later University from the city of Fujioka, over the mountains of central of Tokyo). Honshu, includes a very rare Yayoi period (300 BC Among the dogu¯ displayed in unearthed, three –AD 300) figure. The others date to the end of the are of particular interest. The shape of one (from whole Jo¯mon period, roughly contemporary with Ikarigaseki, Aomori Prefecture, Final Jo¯mon) derives the striking goggle-eyed figures from the Robert from the famous ‘goggle-eyed dogu¯’, while another and Lisa Sainsbury Collection. The rest of the (Tokoshinai, Aomori Prefecture, Middle–Final dogu¯ in the exhibition are from Sannai Maruyama, Jo¯mon) shows a miniaturised representation of the currently still under excavation, and the University typical features of the goggle-eyed dogu¯. A third of Tokyo’s important historical collections. example (Tozurasawa, Aomori Prefecture, Late Jo¯mon) has a very rare shape that reminds us of a monkey. Matsuda Akira

Left to right: Figurine, Oki ll, Gunma Prefecture Yayoi period (300 BC–AD 300), H: 13 cm, Fujioka Museum (Fujioka Municipal Board of

Education), Japan; Figurine, Hyakubunsawa, Fukushima Prefecture, Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC), H: 8.2 cm

The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Japan; Figurine, Sanka, Niigata Prefecture, Middle Jo¯ mon (2500–1500 BC),

H: 17.5 cm, Nagaoka Municipal Science Museum, Japan; Fragment of figurine, Hyakubunsawa, Fukushima Prefecture,

Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC), H: 9.9 cm, The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Japan; Figurine, Ikarigaseki,

Aomori Prefecture, Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC), H: 24.4 cm, The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Japan

Sannai Maruyama The special historical site of Sannai Maruyama is located in Aomori Prefecture, in the northern part of the Japanese archipelago. It is the most important Jo¯mon site in Japan. Aomori Prefecture is home to one of the largest natural beech forests in the world, the Shiragami mountain range, designated a Natural World Heritage Site. People have lived here from ancient times, leaving behind a great quantity of archaeological remains. The settlement at Sannai Maruyama was occupied from 4000 to 2500 BC. It comprised a large cemetery, dwellings, some monumental architecture, piled-up earthen features and a road. In addition, artefacts have been discovered, including obsidian and jadeite from distant sources, that show that Sannai Maruyama was an important trading centre. Environmental conditions at the time of the occupation are becoming clear through a number of scientific studies. Excavations continue today. More than 1,850 dogu¯ fragments have been recovered from Sannai Maruyama to date, the largest number from any single Jo¯mon site in Japan. Most are made of a thick wad of clay and, with their distinctive cross-shaped bodies, are called ‘slabshape dogu¯’ and ‘cruciform dogu¯’. Among the facial features depicted are eyes, eyebrows, noses (even nostrils), mouths and hair. Some dogu¯ are shown wearing ornaments such as hair combs and ear decorations, and they all have breasts, indicating that they represent women. The later examples have legs and may have been designed to stand up.

Left to right: Figurine, Nakamichi, Niigata Prefecture, Middle Jo¯ mon (2500–1500 BC), H: 11.5 cm, Nagaoka Municipal Science Museum, Japan;

Figurine, Tokoshinai, Aomori Prefecture, Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC), H: 12.8 cm, The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Japan;

Figurine, Tokoshinai, Aomori Prefecture, Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC), H: 15.9 cm, The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Japan;

The largest proportion of dogu¯ were found in a fragmentary state in the piled-earthen features, which were important ritual locations, but other examples were complete, and parts of one dogu¯ were separated by over 90 metres. Some were painted with lacquer, while others were stuck back together using asphalt, a naturally occurring black tar-like substance. One of the most mysterious aspects of the Sannai Maruyama dogu¯ is that no two are the same. A group of 15 Jo¯mon sites from Hokkaido and the prefectures of Aomori, Iwate and Akita form the Hokkaido and Northern Tohoku Jo¯mon site cluster. In January 2009 this cluster joined the UNESCO Provisional List for World Heritage Status. In preparation for the sites’ collective inscription as a World Heritage Site, information materials are being prepared, and in autumn 2009 a workshop about the sites was held in London. Okada Yasuhiro, Sannai Maruyama Site Director

Figurine, Tenjindai, Kanagawa Prefecture, Late Jo¯ mon (1500–1000 BC), H: 11.3 cm, The University Museum, The

University of Tokyo, Japan; Figurine, Sannai Maruyama, Aomori Prefecture, Late Jo¯ mon (1500–1000 BC), H: 8.6 cm, Aomori

Prefectural Board of Education, Japan; Fragment of figurine, Osagawa, Akita Prefecture, Late Jo¯ mon (1500–1000 BC), H: 11.3 cm,

The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Japan

The Balkans

Clockwise from top left: Head of figurine, Pilavo, Burilcˇevo, Kocˇani, SˇuplevecBakarno Gumno culture (c.4200 BC), H: 14 cm, Museum

of Macedonia; Head of figurine, Podgorie I, Kishnik, Early Neolithic (6500–5800 BC), H: 5.1 cm, Archaeological Museum of Tirana,

Albania; Head of figurine, Vita˘nes¸ti Ma˘gurice, Gumelnit¸a culture (4600–3900 BC), H: 2.9 cm, Teleorman County Museum, Romania;

Head of figurine, Tumba, Madzari, Skopje, Anzabegovo-Vrsˇnik lll culture (5300–4200 BC), H: 10.5 cm, Museum of Macedonia

Clockwise from top left: Head of figurine, Tumba, Madzari, Skopje, Anzabegovo-Vrsˇnik lll culture (5300–4200 BC),

H: 9 cm; Museum of Macedonia; Head of figurine, Tumba, Cˇair, Skopje, Anzabegovo-Vrsˇnik lll culture (5300– 4200 BC), H: 15.5 cm, Museum of

Macedonia; Head of figurine, Vita˘nes¸ti Ma˘gurice, Gumelnit¸a culture (4600–3900 BC), H: 5 cm, Teleorman County Museum, Romania;

Head of figurine, Vita˘nes¸ti Ma˘gurice, Gumelnit¸a culture (4600–3900 BC), H: 2.2 cm, Teleorman County Museum, Romania;

Head of figurine, St. Atanasie, Spancˇevo, Kocˇani, Sˇuplevec-Bakarno Gumno culture (c. 4200 BC), H: 5.7 cm, Museum of Macedonia;

Head of figurine, Vita˘nes¸ti Ma˘gurice, Gumelnit¸a culture (4600–3900 BC), H: 3.0 cm, Teleorman County Museum, Romania

The Balkans Farming, accompanied by pottery-making, first entered Europe from its region of origin, the so-called fertile crescent of the Near East through Anatolia in modern-day Turkey, and across the Eastern Mediterranean. Early agricultural communities, many rather unstable and exploiting wild food resources as well as their own domesticated plants and animals, appeared across much of south-eastern Europe. These early farmers lived in villages and made small clay figures. Most of the figures from this region in unearthed come from Romania, occupied early by farming groups who spread along the Danube and its tributaries, a story that is relatively well known to archaeologists. But we also have figurines from two parts of the Balkans that are much less known: Albania and the Republic of Macedonia.

The Republic of Macedonia was until the 1990s part of the former Yugoslavia. Macedonia, however, is a contested name, and represents to many people a much larger region of the south-eastern Balkans. Some of the most remarkable clay figures from the entire Balkans come from this small landlocked country, most notably the Great Mother, a fusion of the female human form with a house. The pioneering exhibitions of Prehistoric Macedonian Ladies organised over the past decade by Irena Kolistrkoska Nasteva were the inspiration behind unearthed and the associated research project, and showed how these small bodies from the ancient past have powerful resonances in the Balkans today, where new identities are being forged in the embers of the past.

The clay figures from Albania, a country closed to the outside world until 1995, have not been exhibited overseas before. Under the aegis of the University of East Anglia a new generation of archaeologists and cultural heritage specialists have been trained and are revealing the treasures of Albania’s cultural heritage to the world.

Left to right: Head of figurine, Rast, Dolj County, Vincˇa culture (4500–3500 BC), H: 7 cm, Romanian National History Museum

Figurine, Dunavec, I–II Middle Neolithic (5800–4800 BC), H: 6.1 cm, Archaeological Museum of Tirana, Albania

Figurine, Cernavoda˘, Constant¸a County Hamangia culture (5500–4500 BC), H: 5 cm, Romanian National History Museum

Figurine, Cernavoda˘, Constant¸a County Hamangia culture (5500–4500 BC), H: 7 cm, Romanian National History Museum

Figurine, Cernavoda˘, Constant¸a County, Hamangia culture (5500–4500 BC), H: 6 cm, Romanian National History Museum

Figurine, Vidra, Ilfov County, Gumelnit¸a culture (4500–3500 BC), H: 14 cm, Romanian National History Museum

Figurine, Sultana, Ca˘la˘ras¸i County, Gumelnit¸a culture (4500–3500 BC), H: 11.5 cm, Romanian National History Museum

Macedonian figurines at unearthed The Republic of Macedonia is rich in archaeological sites from the Neolithic and Eneolithic periods, many of which have produced anthropomorphic and zoomorphic figurines. Most seem to depict women. In 2005 I organised Prehistoric Macedonian Ladies, an exhibition of about 100 figurines at the Museum of Macedonia. The exhibition aroused great public interest, presenting these remarkable objects in all their diversity – some realistic, others more stylised. These figurines are usually found during the excavation of the remains of houses. They are often discovered near the hearth, occasionally raised up on pedestals to emphasise their significance. They have a great sense of presence and we think they formed the focus of adoration as part of the rich spiritual life of our ancestors. Perhaps the most outstanding form is that of the body of a woman, wearing jewellery and with a splendid coiffure, fused on to the roof of the model of a house. More than 20 examples of these Great Mother or Magna Mater figures are known. They are only found within the borders of the Republic of Macedonia and are thought to symbolise fertility, family and the protection of the home. They are silent testimony to the transcendent nature of the daily life of women in prehistory.

Figurine, Cucuteni, Ias¸i County, Cucuteni culture (4500–4000 BC, H: 8.6 cm, Romanian National History Museum

Figurine, Cucuteni, Ias¸i County, Cucuteni culture (5500–4000 BC), H: 21 cm, Romanian National History Museum

.Figurine, Cucuteni, Ias¸i County, Cucuteni culture (4000–3500 BC), H: 12.2 cm, Romanian National History Museum

We are especially pleased that the exhibition includes the newly discovered Portrait of an Eneolithic Ancestor, excavated at the site of the Shrine of St Atanasie. Unusually, this figurine was modelled on an the face of an adult male, his ears pierced for earrings made of some organic material long vanished. unearthed displays merely a small selection of the many prehistoric figures from the Republic of Macedonia. Recent excavations have unearthed many new examples and we expect that there will be many further discoveries of this sort in the future. Irena Kolistrkoska Nasteva, Curator, Museum of Macedonia, Skopje Nada Andonovska, Translator, Museum of Macedonia, Skopje

Figurine, Baia, Tulcea County, Hamangia culture (5500–4500 BC), H: 17 cm, Romanian National History Museum

Figurine, Cucuteni, Ias¸i County, Cucuteni culture (4000–3500 BC), H: 19.4 cm, Romanian National History Museum

Figurine, Sultana, Ca˘la˘ras¸i County, Gumelnit¸a culture (4500–3500 BC), H: 19 cm, Romanian National History Museum

Heads, feet and being human Figurine fragments, Vita˘nes¸ti Ma˘gurice, Gumelnit¸a culture (4600–3900 BC), H: 2.5–5.9 cm, Teleorman County Museum, Romania

Head of figurine, Vita˘nes¸ti Ma˘gurice, Gumelnit¸a culture (4600 –3900 BC), H: 3.9 cm, Teleorman County Museum, Romania

Decorated torso, Pilavo, Burilcˇevo, Kocˇani, SˇuplevecBakarno Gumno culture (c.4200 BC), H: 11 cm, Museum of Macedonia

Head of figurine, Podgorie I, Kishnik, Early Neolithic (6500 –5800 BC), H: 4.1 cm, Archaeological Museum of Tirana, Albania

Miniature figurine, Vita˘nes¸ti Ma˘gurice, Gumelnit¸a culture (4600–3900 BC), H: 1.7 cm, Teleorman County Museum, Romania

Decorated torso, St. Atanasie, Spancˇevo, Kocˇani, SˇuplevecBakarno Gumno culture (c.4200 BC), H:8.5 cm, Museum of Macedonia

Head of figurine, Vashtemi, Early Neolithic (6500–5800 BC), H: 7.4 cm, Archaeological Museum of Tirana, Albania

Miniature figurine, Vita˘nes¸ti Ma˘gurice, Gumelnit¸a culture (4600–3900 BC), H: 2.3 cm, Teleorman County Museum, Romania

Head of figurine, Tumba, Madzari, Skopje, AnzabegovoVrsˇnik lll culture (5300–4200 BC), H: 14 cm, Museum of Macedonia

Head of figurine, Dunavec I–II, Middle Neolithic (5800–4800 BC), H: 5.3 cm, Archaeological Museum of Tirana, Albania

Head of figurine, Kolsh, II Middle Neolithic (5800 –4800 BC), H: 5.5 cm, Archaeological Museum of Tirana, Albania

Head of figurine, Vita˘nes¸ti Ma˘gurice, Gumelnit¸a culture (4600–3900 BC), H: 3.5 cm, Teleorman County Museum, Romania

Head of figurine, Yachi, Gunma Prefecture, Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC), H: 8 cm, Fujioka Museum Fujioka Museum (Fujioka Municipal Board of Education), Japan

Head of figurine, Nakamichi, Niigata Prefecture, Late Jo¯ mon (1500–1000 BC), H: 4.1 cm, Nagaoka Municipal Science Museum, Japan

Head of figurine, Iwanohara, Niigata Prefecture, Middle Jo¯mon (2500–1500 BC), H: 6.1 cm, Nagaoka Municipal Science Museum, Japan

Head of figurine, Takigawa II, Gunma Prefecture, Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC), H: 8 cm, Fujioka Museum (Fujioka Municipal Board of Education), Japan

Head of figurine, Iwanohara, Niigata Prefecture, Middle Jo¯ mon (2500–1500 BC), H: 7.9 cm, Nagaoka Municipal Science Museum, Japan

Fragment of figurine, Nakamichi, Niigata Prefecture, Middle Jo¯ mon (2500–1500 BC), H: 5 cm, Nagaoka Municipal Science Museum, Japan

Head of figurine, Takigawa II, Gunma Prefecture, Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC), H: 6 cm, Fujioka Museum (Fujioka Municipal Board of Education), Japan

Head of figurine, Iwanohara, Niigata Prefecture, Middle Jo¯ mon (2500–1500 BC), H: 5.4 cm, Nagaoka Municipal Science Museum, Japan

Fragment of figurine, Nanbara, Niigata Prefecture, Middle Jo¯ mon (2500–1500 BC), H: 2.3 cm, Nagaoka Municipal Science Museum, Japan

Head of figurine, Takigawa II, Gunma Prefecture, Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC), H: 6 cm Fujioka Museum (Fujioka Municipal Board of Education), Japan Head of figurine, Yachi, Gunma Prefecture, Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC), H: 6 cm, Fujioka Museum (Fujioka Municipal Board of Education), Japan

Figurine fragments, Yachi, Gunma Prefecture, Final Jo¯ mon (1000– 300 BC), H: 3–7 cm, Fujioka Museum (Fujioka Municipal Board of Education), Japan

Figurine, Tozurasawa, Aomori Prefecture, Late Jo¯ mon (1500– 1000 BC), H: 9.4 cm, The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Japan

Fragment of figurine, Fukuda Shell Midden, Ibaraki Prefecture, Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC), H: 8.2 cm, The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Japan

Fragmented figurine, Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC), H: 12 cm, Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection, University of East Anglia

Head of figurine, Karumai, Iwate Prefecture, Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC), H: 8.8 cm, The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Japan

Fragment of figurine, Tozurasawa, Aomori Prefecture, Late Jo¯ mon (1500–1000 BC), H: 5.9 cm, The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Japan

Figurine, Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC), H: 13.3 cm, Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection, University of East Anglia

Head of figurine, Taninai, Iwate Prefecture, Final Jo¯mon (1000–300 BC), H: 5.7 cm, The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Japan

Figurine, Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC, H: 19 cm, Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection, University of East Anglia

Fragmented figurine, Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC), H: 11 cm, Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection, University of East Anglia

Head of figurine, Tateishi, Aomori Prefecture, Final Jo¯mon (1000–300 BC), H: 5.4 cm, The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Japan

Head of figurine, Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC), H: 48 cm, Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection, University of East Anglia

Head of figurine, Korekawa Nakai, Aomori Prefecture, Final Jo¯mon (1000–300 BC), H: 5.6 cm, The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Japan

Composite figurine, Washinoki, Hokkaido, Middle Jo¯ mon (2500–1500 BC), H: 15 cm, Mori Municipal Board of Education, Japan

Figurine, Tokomai, Aomori Prefecture, Final Jo¯ mon (1000–300 BC), H: 10.9 cm, The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Japan

The Toy Department unearthed was conceived from the outset as a site-specific exhibition for the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts. Inspired by the Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection and the way it is displayed in the Living Area, unearthed draws on the distinctive juxtaposition of modern art with its ancient forbears. The latter include one of the finest collections of Jo¯mon dogu¯ on public display outside Japan, along with other early figurines from around the world, notably the Cyclades island group in the Aegean Sea. Another treasured component of the Sainsbury collections is the group of small figures affectionately known as ‘The Toy Department’. Sir Robert Sainsbury kept these tiny yet impressive pieces close by, near his bed and sometimes in his pockets. Including them in unearthed, along with the Japanese hina dolls presented to Lady Sainsbury by Handa Haruhisa, a generous supporter of the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures, emphasises the connection between unearthed and the Sainsburys’ visionary contribution to art. The unearthed team thanks all those who have provided funding, lent exhibits and supported the research on which the exhibition is based. We hope that unearthed will enable you to see the wonderful small things elsewhere in the Sainsbury Centre in a new light.

Tiny ivory head, North America, Arctic, (undated), ivory

Figure, Tonga, (undated), whale ivory

Figure, North America, Bering Sea, (18th century or earlier), mammal tooth

Female figure, North America, Bering Sea, (18th century or earlier), walrus ivory

Gaming piece, North America, Arctic region, (18th century or earlier), mammal tooth

Small seated figure, China, Song dynasty (960–1279), glazed porcelain

Model libation vase, Egypt, Dynasty XVIII (c.1350 BC), faience

Figure of Pataikos, Egypt, Ptolemaic (late)/ Roman Period (c.50 BC– AD 100) faience

Statuette of Hathor or a queen, Egypt, Ptolemaic Period (c.150 BC), gold

Figure, Alaska, (undated), walrus ivory, mammal tooth

Figure, Peru, (600–1000), turquoise or chrysocolla

Statuette of a dwarf, Egypt, Late Dynasty VI (c.2200 BC), ivory

Pendant with wolf head, North America, Alaska, (19th–early 20th century), walrus ivory

Standing figure, West Asia, Syria, Uruk period (c.3300– 3000 BC), stone

Seated dwarf, Mexico, Formative (early) period (1200–900 BC), terracotta, red pigment

Frog, Egypt, Predynastic (c.3000 BC), bone

Statuette of a companion of the dead, Egypt, Dynasty XII (c.1880 BC), faience

Robert and Lisa Sainsbury Collection, University of East Anglia

Hina Doll Set, (20th century), Japan, Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures

Front cover: Head of figurine, Sannai Maruyama, Aomori Prefecture, Late Jo¯mon, (1500–1000 BC), H: 4.3 cm Aomori Prefectural Board of Education, Japan Above: Figurine legs and feet, Sannai Maruyama, Aomori Prefecture, Late Jo¯mon (1500–1000 BC), H: 1.7–5.6 cm, Aomori Prefectural Board of Education, Japan

unearthed, Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, 22 June – 29 August 2010 Curated by Douglass Bailey, Andrew Cochrane and Simon Kaner Developed by the Sainsbury Centre and the Sainsbury Institute

With support from

Photography provided by: Aomori Prefectural Board of Education Cultural Properties Protection Division Meri Anicin Pejoska James Austin Douglass Bailey The British Museum

Gianni Giosue Peter Huggins Museum of Macedonia George Nica Ralph Paprzycki Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures Tanaka Yoshimichi

Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts UEA, Norwich NR4 7TJ 01603 593199 www.scva.ac.uk

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