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The Haniwa Terracotta Dancers were excavated on March 21, 1930, from the Nohara Tumulus. The tumulus is located in the Nohara Burial Mounds (野原古墳群, nohara kofun-gun) of Ohara Village, Ōsato County in the Saitama Prefecture. (Ohara Village was renamed to Kōnan Town and is now known as Ōaza Nohara Aza Miyawaki, Kumagaya City).The sculptures are well known among the haniwa from the Kofun-period (250-538 CE) for their simplistic design, unique facial expressions and implied dancing gestures. However, in recent scholarly discussions, the theory that they are not dancing figures but horse keepers holding a rein and pulling a horse has become more prevalent.
haniwa Kofun-period Tumulus Haniwa