‘Scapegoat doll’ with Buddhist face unearthed in Tottori

TOTTORI–A wooden doll with a Buddhist face that would take the blame for disasters has been unearthed in this western city.

The human-shaped piece of wood is probably a “hitogata,” or “scapegoat doll,” which was used in purification ceremonies or other arcane Shinto rituals.

The dolls could, for example, effectively take cosmic blame for a smallpox epidemic, but it is quite rare that a Buddhist visage is found on such objects.

It is believed that an area near the site may have hosted a religious center that blended Shinto and Buddhism.

The object was unearthed at the Aoya-Yokogi archaeological site in Tottori. The site has also produced a panel painting of a group of female figures, which bears close resemblance to the brightly colored mural found in the Takamatsuzuka burial mound in Asuka, Nara Prefecture. Read more.