Haniwa terracotta Horse

This is a Japanese Haniwa horse figurine, typically made of unglazed terracotta or earthenware. Haniwa (meaning "circle of clay") are ancient Japanese funerary objects from the Kofun period (c. 250 to 538 A.D.). They were placed on or around the burial mounds of the elite, possibly as tomb guardians or for good fortune. The figures, including this saddled horse, were made using a coiling technique. The presence of horse-shaped Haniwa became more common from the late 400s to the 500s CE, reflecting the increasing prevalence of horses during that period.