Yayoi potsherd with female shaman

[Duncan Head]

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20191010/p2a/00m/0na/012000c

Minimal military interest, but compares interestingly with the story of Himiko.

[Andreas Johansson]

If the shaman is dressed in a bird costume, would breasts even be visible?* Mightn't it at least as plausibly be some sort of decoration attached to the costume?

(I'm, obviously, asking this out of a position of gross ignorance. To my inexpert eyes, it's nonobvious the figure is wearing a costume in the first place - given what looks like broad shoulders, I might have thought it a bare-chested man with the nipples indicated.)

* I guess the answer is "yes, at least if a Hollywood costuming department has anything to do with it."

[Patrick Waterson]

If the shaman is dressed in a bird costume, would breasts even be visible?* Mightn't it at least as plausibly be some sort of decoration attached to the costume?

That would presumably have been the experts' first guess.  They may then have thought: maybe she is wearing a feathered robe with nothing underneath, so when she spreads her arms ...

I am a complete ignoramus regarding Yayoi pottery and depictions of humans thereon, so have no idea whether there are certain styles of which this is an unusual example or what the criteria for deciding a) shamanism and b) femininity might be.

According to Chinese records (Book of Later Han, Book of Sui),

For a number of years, there was no ruler. Then a woman named Himiko appeared. Remaining unmarried, she occupied herself with magic and sorcery and bewitched the populace. Thereupon they placed her on the throne.

A female shaman depiction has an obvious potential tie-in, if this is indeed one as the experts seem to think.  Having a good figure might have helped with 'bewitching the populace' ...

[Dangun]

As the only women and one of only a handful of characters that are given names in approximately contemporary sources... anything female, shamanic or otherwise, would be associated with her.

[Mark G]

Also gets my vote for best thread title yet.

I pity folk with a hobby that cannot produce such a title to a discussion