Jōmon Venus
| Jōmon Venus | |
|---|---|
Jōmon Venus | |
| Material | Clay |
| Height | 27 cm (11 in) |
| Weight | 2.14 kg (4.7 lb) |
| Created | c. 2500 BC |
| Period/culture | Middle Jōmon period |
| Discovered | 1986 Chino, Nagano, Japan |
| Present location | Togariishi Museum of Jōmon Archaeology, Chino, Nagano, Japan |
The Jōmon Venus (縄文のビーナス, Jōmon no Bīnasu) is a dogū, a humanoid clay female figurine from the Middle Jōmon period (c. 2500 BC), discovered in 1986 in Chino, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. It was designated a National Treasure in 1995, the first Jōmon-period artifact to be so designated.
The dogū is an ocher-colored clay statuette 27 cm (11 in) high and weighing 2.14 kg (4.7 lb). The clay from which it is made has been carefully polished and contains mica. Its shape is thought to resemble a pregnant woman: broad hips, a pronounced gluteal arch, prominent breasts and an enlarged belly. In contrast to the overwhelming majority of the 20,000 dogū found in Japan, which were fragmented, the Venus of Jōmon is complete and has all its limbs.