haniwa

American  

[hah-nee-wah] / ˈhɑ niˌwɑ /

noun

plural

haniwa

1. any of the terra-cotta models of people, animals, and houses from the Yayoi period of Japanese culture.

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Etymology

Origin of haniwa

1965–70; < Japanese, earlier faniwa, equivalent to fani red clay + wa wheel

Example Sentences

Among the earliest pieces is a sixth-century clay head of a female haniwa, or burial figure, with bright slashes of rouge on her cheeks.

From New York Times • Nov. 12, 2015

Most probably it was limited to some simple designs drawn on household utensils, haniwa or terracotta-making, and to an orchestra of rudimentary instruments.

From An Introduction to the History of Japan by Hara, Katsuro

It is probable that this bizarre decoration was used only on ceremonial occasions and that it appears in a greatly accentuated form on the haniwa.

From A History of the Japanese People From the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era by Brinkley, F. (Frank)