Excavated at Numataniyama, Kishiwada-shi, Osaka. 6th century.
Tokyo National Museum.
This is a type of decorative jar with clay cords around the shoulder of the covered jar, on which a figure and four deer are placed at equal intervals. The deer all face the same direction and assume the same pose. The heads are raised and mouths are open, probably representing the sound of a herd of deer. It is unclear what the figure with its arms outstretched in front of it represents. Deer, along with dogs and horses, are one of the most popular animals used as subjects for decorative Sue ware: but it is rare to find five deer in a row like this. The clay used for the vessels is slightly sandy, and the firing was not very hard, giving the vessels a slightly brownish gray color.
