Designing Dogu Figurines
Dogu are ceramic figurines made by people in Japan thousands of years ago, during the Jomon Period. The dogu had spiritual significance, although their exact function remains a mystery.
The intricate patterns and varying facial expressions give dogu unique personalities. This resource is ideal to incorporate as part of your KS3 Art & Design curriculum. Within this unit, pupils will study these prehistoric artefacts and use them as inspiration to create their own 3D dogu figurine out of clay or salt dough. You could also teach this as a one-off lesson and create dogu using paper or other alternative materials (see External Resources below).
Download all lesson resources (Zip File 33.4MB), or see below for the individual resources.
Please note that the PowerPoint Presentation files are read-only. If you would like an editable version of any of the presentations, please contact us at education@japansociety.org.uk
Background Information for Teachers
- Background Notes for Teachers - PDF (211KB)
- Scheme of Work - PDF (267KB)
- Teacher Reference Images - PDF (1MB)
- Presentation - Dogu Figurines and Jomon Japan by Simon Kaner - PPTX (23.9MB)
- Video - Introduction to Dogu Figurines and Jomon by Simon Kaner
Lesson 1 - Introduction to Dogu
In this lesson, pupils will increase their understanding of dogu in the context of Japan and Japanese art history through discussion, research, and images. They will complete a compare and contrast activity in which they will look closely at the similarities and differences between dogu and other ancient artefacts from around the world to demonstrate this outcome.
Learning Objectives:
- Learn about dogu and its significance in Japanese culture and history.
- Compare dogu to other ancient artefacts from around the world.
Lesson Duration: 50 minutes - 1 hour
Resources
- 1 - Lesson Plan - PDF (375KB)
- 1 - Presentation - PPTX (3MB)
- Worksheet - Comparing Ancient Artefacts (490KB)
Lesson 2 - Dogu Patterns
Following on from the previous lesson, pupils will closely observe the patterns and designs of dogu by annotating a printed image. They will then create their own clay tiles using inspiration from patterns seen on dogu, techniques employed by Jomon potters, and their own designs.
Learning Objectives:
- Recognise the key features of a dogu figurine.
- Create your own design on a clay tile, inspired by the patterns on dogu figurines.
Lesson Duration: 50 minutes - 1 hour
Resources
- 2 - Lesson Plan - PDF (357KB)
- 2 - Presentation - PPTX (429KB)
- Worksheet - Dogu Figurines - PDF (448KB)
Lesson 3 - Design a Dogu
In this lesson, pupils will reflect on the success of the making process in the previous lesson and will think about their 3D figure. They will produce four different designs and decide on one to construct in the final lesson.
Learning Objective:
- Develop your own personal interpretation of dogu figurines by producing four draft designs.
Lesson Duration: 50 minutes - 1 hour
Resources
Additional Resources
Lesson 4 - Create a Dogu
In the final lesson of this unit of work, pupils will bring their dogu figurine to life using clay or salt-dough, based on their draft design from the previous lesson. There are also extension activities provided to further develop the ideas behind their dogu.
Learning Objective:
- Construct a 3D figurine and apply the pattern according to your design, inspired by your research.
Lesson Duration: 1 hour+
Resources
Additional Resources
- Reference Images for Teachers - PDF (1MB)
- Worksheet - A Dogu Story - PDF (183KB)
- Worksheet - Dogu Reimagined - PDF (163KB)
External Resources
- Make a standing dogu out of paper by following this video and using the downloadable template.