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Waist-to-hip ratios of Jomon figurines

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Mark J. Hudson  and
Mami Aoyama
Mark J. Hudson
Affiliation:
*Department of Occupational Therapy, University of West Kyushu, Nagahara Campus, Osaki 4490-9, Kanzaki City, Saga 842-8585, Japan (Email: hudsonm@nisikyu-u.ac.jp & aoyamam@nisikyu-u.ac.jp)
Mami Aoyama
Affiliation:
*Department of Occupational Therapy, University of West Kyushu, Nagahara Campus, Osaki 4490-9, Kanzaki City, Saga 842-8585, Japan (Email: hudsonm@nisikyu-u.ac.jp & aoyamam@nisikyu-u.ac.jp)
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Extract

The authors show that the Jomon clay figurines made by hunter-gatherers use imagery that emphasises a narrow waist and full hips, showing that a female construct was part of the symbolism of these possibly shamanistic objects. In creating these figurines, prehistoric people were no doubt turning a recognition of health and fertility into more cultural icons. Admirers of the female form will be interested to learn that preference for the fuller, curvaceous ‘hourglass’ shape ‘has probably been the norm over much of human evolution’.

Keywords

PrehistoricJapanJomon cultureclay figurinescult objectsgendersexwaist-to-hip ratio
Type
Research Article
Information
Antiquity , Volume 81 , Issue 314 , 1 December 2007 , pp. 961 - 971
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2007

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