GOLDEN BELLS TOMB — HIRANO AND TAKIGUCHI 445 



small pebbles and still tinkle sweetly. The plates of gilt-bronze are 

 of two types: 1, round plates 6.8 centimeters in diameter with a 

 hemispheric projection in the center and five arms from the base of 

 the projection; and 2, small hemispheres 2.5 centimeters in diameter 

 with six petals attached. 



Bronze vessels. — Some of the bronze vessels were so badly corroded 

 and broken that restoration was impossible; but two specimens (pi. 

 4, C) were in excellent condition and proved to be unique objects 

 from Japanese burial tombs. These vessels are sitting on a flat plate- 

 like stand with a pedestal base. Each vessel is goblet-shaped, with a 

 stem, flaring base, and round cup, and covered with a hemispherical 

 lid with a small knob on the top. The total height of the plate, 

 goblet, and lid is 17 centimeters. 



Pottery vessels. — The pottery vessels of the burial-mound tomb 

 periods of Japan can be classified into two distinct types : thin, red- 

 brown ware without much design (Hajiki), and a hard dark-gray 

 pottery made in mass production on the potters wheel and fired in 

 unusually hot furnaces (Sueki). Of the pottery from Kinreizuka 

 26 vessels are of the first type, Hajiki, and 243 of the second type, 

 Sueki. These numerous vessels have been further subdivided into 

 various categories meaningful to the specialist in ancient Japanese 

 pottery but too technical for a discussion of this nature. The various 

 pottery vessel shapes from this tomb include stemmed bowls, plates, 

 bowls of a wide variety with covers, deep round-bodied jars with 

 long or short necks. Some of the plates had been painted on both 

 surfaces with cinnabar but one plate had a black interior and a red 

 painted exterior. Several platterlike vessels showed oil smudges 

 along the edge suggesting use as oil lamps. Without any doubt all 

 the vessels at the time of their placement in the tomb were intact 

 and contained offerings of food and drink to the deceased. When 

 the wooden shelves fell and the pottery vessels crashed to the floor 

 of the chamber, many vessels were broken, but the majority were 

 restorable. The photograph (pi. 3) of some of the vessels in the 

 chamber before complete excavation will give an idea of the range 

 of shapes. 



CONCLUSIONS 



The burial-mound tombs of Japan are indicative of the high rank 

 and opulence of the families who built them. Only persons of great 

 wealth and power could amass the material and employ the labor 

 necessary to construct these tombs and furnish the quantity of lavish 

 articles buried in them. 



From the numerous and elaborate objects found in Kinreizuka, 

 this was evidently the tomb of a person of exalted station — un- 

 doubtedly a very important young ruler. The other two bodies in 



