105. Art in East Asia I
The course examines the art and architecture of China, Japan and Korea. Lectures will survey East Asian art chronologically and thematically, beginning with Neolithic ceramics, and ending with developments in Buddhist and secular art and architecture in the 9th and 10th centuries. We will be concerned throughout with issues pertinent to the wider study of visual and material culture, including the interpretation of meaning from objects and images; the relationship between archaeology and modern nationalism; cultural interconnections and the diversity of individual cultural traditions; reflections of social stratification in material culture; issues of style and artistic intent; and the interplay between literary, visual, and performative artistic production.
(Sean McPherson)