History and background This paper will compare two works of art from the Jomon period, that was one of the lasting Neolithic phases in the history of Japan. The name for this period was based off of the “cord markings” which signified the ceramics that were made throughout the period. The people in this era were mainly fishermen or hunters and had semi-sedentary lifestyles with their homes made out of pit primarily surrounded by wide open spaces. The artworks excavated fron this time period provide monumental insights to the history and inclinations of art in this period and how it influenced the times to come, however the artifacts themselves shine very little light on the ethnic structure of the people or their language at the time (Department of Asian Art, 2002).

Jar

The first artifact I chose was titled "Jar". it was a bulbous-shaped bottle that had a very small and narrow brim or neck which was a typical representation of the artworks found in Late Jomon period near the excavation sites in T?hoku. This was the only region at the time that stuck to its traditional roots of art while areas in the south and west of this region were being influenced by foreign patterns....

The incisions on the Jar were also following tradiitonal lines. The only offset or non-traditional aspect of this artifact was red pigment used for application on the surface of the artifact. The simplicity of this piece of art was a great representation of the preferences at the time amongst Japanese artists of the decreasing interests in embellished sculptors and wode ranging decor patterns, instead it showed a greater eye for form, inclusivess and ornamentation.
Deep Vessel with Handles

The memorable shape of the rim for this artifact makes it standout from the mid-late Jomon period. Even though the rim is heavily inclined towards ornamentation of the highest class, the remainder of the vessel showcases a stark contrast of simplicity and highlights the traditional and popular cord markings of the time. This artifact also broke the mould of being one of the cermaics taht could be used merely as a cooking vessle or some other practical use; it, in fact, shows little practical use due to the flambouyant rim and instead could be a vessle that performed a ritual or cultual function instead.

Analysis and Comparison

Some of the simlarities between the Jomon artifacts chosen…