Cleveland Museum of Art

Dōtaku

Date

100–200 CE

Medium

cast bronze

Culture

Japan, Yayoi period (c. 300 BCE–300 CE)

Department

Japanese Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The flow of new peoples from Korea to Japan during the Yayoi period brought new technologies of bronze and iron casting. Similarly, the form of the dōtaku , or bronze bell, is thought to have originated in Korea. The original Korean prototypes—stout, thickly cast bells—were transformed in Japan into sculptural forms with sophisticated surface decoration. These dōtaku are often uncovered near burial sites paired with a metal spear or sword nearby, suggesting ceremonial importance.

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