magatama

Magatama are curved, comma-shaped beads that originated in prehistoric Japan and have long been imbued with religious and ceremonial significance. The name derives from the Japanese magaru, meaning “to bend” or “to turn,” and tama, meaning jewel or soul, reflecting their status as objects believed to contain spiritual energy.

Physical characteristics commonly include a crescent-like form with a drilled hole near the narrow end, allowing stringing as jewelry or ritual objects. They were crafted from various materials, especially jade (nephrite or jadeite), serpentine, quartz, and, in later periods, glass. The distinctive shape and materials varied by region and era, but the magatama's symbolic role remained central.

Historically, magatama first appear in the Jomon period (c. 14,000–300 BCE) and become more prominent during the later Yayoi and Kofun periods. They were used as grave goods and ceremonial items, reflecting status and spiritual protection. In the Kofun era, magatama soared in political importance and, in the imperial tradition, became one of the Three Sacred Treasures of Japan—the mirror, the sword, and the Yasakani no Magatama (the jewel). This trio symbolizes the authority and divine legitimacy of the emperor.

In Shinto practice and Japanese culture, magatama are associated with the soul, protective power, and the connection between heaven and earth. They continue to appear in ceremonial contexts, art, and jewelry, and replicas or sets are sometimes used in modern rituals or displayed as cultural artifacts. Similar curved beads have appeared across East Asia, but the Japanese magatama remains the most emblematic form.