PREHISTORIC JAPAN—BAELZ. 5381 
the gray figures is responsible for the fact that in spite of all care they 
do not keep in the same good condition in which they are found. 
Two of these gray figures, shown on pl. 1, have a full beard. They 
are the only ones of this sort known; usually the beard is absent or 
is only indicated by strokes of the modeling tool. 
The eyes of the figures are often surrounded by a raised line which 
is construed to represent snow spectacles by some Japanese archeolo- 
gists. A further thing to be noticed about the eyes is that they do not 
slant upward lke those of Mongolians, but the lids are horizontal and 
the eyes are deep set like those of Europeans. Many of the figures 
are distinctly painted or tattooed on the face. 
The gray figures are evidently the most ancient. The better burnt 
red and black figures are more recent, and some have the type of the 
Japanese terra-cotta figures of the iron age to be mentioned later, 
and have slit eyes and the aquiline nose of refined Mongolian type. 
Their entire workmanship and the care often expended on the cloth- 
ing indicates a late period, perhaps the first centuries A. D. A few 
rather good mask-like representations of human faces have also been 
found. 
The numerous handmade clay vessels and pots from the stone age 
show great variety in form and motive of decoration. They are 
made generally of a reddish clay and are often very badly fired. As 
they are usually thin, they break and fall to pieces easily, so that well- 
preserved pots of large size are rare. 
Fig. 2 shows a collection of fragments with different patterns. 
The most beautiful and best preserved vessels are found in the 
northern part, where for the longest period the stone age prevailed. 
They are sometimes red, sometimes brown, sometimes black, and oc- 
casionally gray. Some resemble glazed ware. Most of them are 
about the size and shape of a modern teapot and have often peculiar 
forms of spout and lid. (See fig. 3.) 
The peculiar rectangular oblong or trapezoidal earthenware tablets 
should also be mentioned. These are sometimes as large as the hand, 
and are often decorated with human faces or eyes, or with other more 
or less fantastic designs. They are supposed to be toys or dolls, on 
what grounds I am not able to determine. More probably they were 
charms or idols. 
Animal figures are few and small. Bear and bird heads are found, 
and occasionally fish heads. 
Personal ornaments appear in the shape of stone and clay rings, 
hollow clay tubes, beads of bone and clay, and also the numerous 
comma-shaped objects 2 to 5 cm. in length, or even longer, which 
are called magatama (crooked jewels), and which were the most 
desired and prized personal adornments in Japan well into the his- 
