B8043 - Iconography and Iconology in East and South-East Asia (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

The course is designed to provide students with a thorough knowledge of the main iconographic-iconological themes concerning the visual culture and religions of East and Southeast Asia, as well as an outline of the history of the discipline and of the historiographical debate on the main themes and problems. At its conclusion students will possess the skills required to express their knowledge effectively orally and/or in writing, using the appropriate terminology and referring to the specialist bibliography. They will also be able to critically use iconographic, bibliographic and documentary sources of different types to shape the results of their research.

Course contents

Dragons, Territories, Ancestors

The course analyses the persistence and development of select key figurative motifs – dragon, tutelary deities, ancestor/ancestors – within the art of China, Japan, and mainland Southeast Asia. The programme is structured around two levels of analysis. On the one hand, iconographical and iconological inquiry will highlight the intrinsic semantic flexibility of these subjects, demonstrating their capacity to generate transformations and conceptual shifts within individual cultures. On the other hand, historical-artistic and cultural analysis will trace how these themes spread to observe the dynamics of adaptation, resignification, and hybridisation of visual forms within heterogeneous religious and social contexts.

The course will include an introductory lecture on the methods and approach of the discipline, while the final lecture will summarize the main themes and problems discussed during the course and prepare students for the final examination. The syllabus will be provided at the first lecture and will be included among the material available on the 'Virtuale' platform.

From Monday 2nd November 2026.

Readings/Bibliography

Bibliography for students attending:

1. A.Green, Southeast Asia. A History in Objects, London, Thames & Hudson, 2023. [The selected readings will be available as a PDF on the Virtuale platform].

2. P. B. Welch, Chinese Art. A Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery, North Clarendon, Tuttle Publishing, 2008 [The selected readings will be available as a PDF on the Virtuale pla.tform].

3. S. Fowler, “In Search of the Dragon: Mt. Murō's Sacred Topography”, Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 1997, 24, 1/2, pp. 145-161.

4. J. Keith Wilson, “Powerful Form and Potent Symbol: The Dragon in Asia”, The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art , 77, 8, 1990, pp. 286-323.

5. D.C. Wong, “The Origin and Rise of Han Stele” in Chinese Steles. Pre-Buddhist and Buddhist Use of a Symbolic Form, Honolulu, University of Hawai'i Press, 2004, pp. 25-41.

6.Ryūken Sawa, “Shugendo Art”, Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 16, 2/3, 1989, pp. 195-204.

7. Mary H. Fong, “Wu Daozi's Legacy in the Popular Door Gods (Menshen) Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong”, Archives of Asian Art , 42, 1989, pp. 6-24.

8. M. Schumacher, “Adapting to the Times: Jizō Statues Along the Kamakura Pilgrimage Route”, Impressions , 35, 2014, pp. 152-175.

9. The PDF course tools made available to students are required reading for the exam.They will be put on the 'Virtuale' platform at the beginning of each week (every three lessons). 

 

Bibliography for students NOT attending:

1. A.Green, Southeast Asia. A History in Objects, London, Thames & Hudson, 2023. [Chs. 2,3 and 4 – not available in PDF].

2. P. B. Welch, Chinese Art. A Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery, North Clarendon, Tuttle Publishing, 2008. [The selected readings will be available as a PDF on the Virtuale platform].

3. S. Fowler, “In Search of the Dragon: Mt. Murō's Sacred Topography”, Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 1997, 24, 1/2, pp. 145-161.

4. J. Keith Wilson, “Powerful Form and Potent Symbol: The Dragon in Asia”, The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art , 77, 8, 1990, pp. 286-323.

5. D.C. Wong, “The Origin and Rise of Han Stele” in Chinese Steles. Pre-Buddhist and Buddhist Use of a Symbolic Form, Honolulu, University of Hawai'i Press, 2004, pp. 25-41.

6.Ryūken Sawa, “Shugendo Art”, Japanese Journal of Religious Studies, 16, 2/3, 1989, pp. 195-204.

7. Mary H. Fong, “Wu Daozi's Legacy in the Popular Door Gods (Menshen) Qin Shubao and Yuchi Gong”, Archives of Asian Art , 42, 1989, pp. 6-24.

8. M. Schumacher, “Adapting to the Times: Jizō Statues Along the Kamakura Pilgrimage Route”, Impressions , 35, 2014, pp. 152-175.

9. The PDF course tools made available to students are required reading for the exam.They will be put on the 'Virtuale' platform at the beginning of each week (every three lessons).

 

 

Teaching methods

Frontal lesson: presentation, reading and analysis of selected works

Assessment methods

This 6 CFU course can be chosen as a part of the 12 CFU Integrated Course “Religious Traditions in East and South-East Asia (I.C.) (LM)". If the student has the Integrated Course (12 CFU) in his/her study plan, the final grade will result from the arithmetic average of the marks obtained in the two parts (“B8041 - Introduction to the Religions in East and South-East Asia (1) (LM)” and “B8042 - Iconography and Iconology in East and South-East Asia (1) (LM)”).

The exam will be conducted orally and will assess the student's command of the material studied in the course. The student will be asked to provide a commentary on images selected from among those found in the course texts and will be judged on his ability to summarise and critically discuss topics raised in the course, making use of the exam bibliography and the course tools provided.

The assessment will thus consider the student's:
- competence in commenting on the images, i.e. in identifying, dating and contextualizing the works illustrated;
- knowledge and understanding of the topics covered;
- ability to summarise and analyse themes and concepts;
- familiarity with the terminology associated with the subject and his ability to use it effectively.

Top marks will be awarded to a student displaying an ability to provide a full description of the images and an overall understanding of the topics discussed during the lectures, combined with a critical approach to the material and a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology

Average marks will be awarded to a student who has memorized the main points of the material and is able to summarise them satisfactorily and provide an effective critical commentary, while failing to display a complete command of the appropriate terminology.

A student will be deemed to have failed the exam if he displays significant errors in his understanding and failure to grasp the overall outlines of the subject, together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology.

There are 6 exam sessions per year, in principle distributed as follows:
- 2 between September and November
- 2 between January and March
- 2 between May and early July

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Students with learning disorders and\or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Teaching tools

Power point presentations available to students on the 'Virtuale' platform.

Office hours

See the website of Nicoletta Celli