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

The course aims to provide a broad overview of the iconography of the main divine figures of Hindu and Buddhist religion and the architectural forms that characterize the sacred space of these two religious traditions in South and Southeast Asia. The first part will focus on the iconography and mythology of the main Hindu and Buddhist deities of the Indian world, while the second will examine the diffusion, reception, and transformation of Indian models in Southeast Asia, with particular reference to the areas of present-day Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

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 9th February 2026.

Readings/Bibliography

Bibliography for students attending:

1. J.C. Harle, The Art and Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent, pp. 15-188 (chapters 1-13); pp. 245-310 (chapters 17-21). Download here [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.118068] .

2. John Guy (a cura di), Lost Kingdoms, Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia, 5th to 8th Century, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014. [Selected pages will be available in PDF format on Virtuale].

3. Martin Lerner, The Flame and the Lotus, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1984. [Selected pages will be available in PDF format on Virtuale].

4. 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. J.C. Harle, The Art and Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent, pp. 15-188 (chapters 1-13); pp. 245-310 (chapters 17-21). Download here [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.118068] .

2. John Guy (a cura di), Lost Kingdoms, Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia, 5th to 8th Century, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2014. [Selected pages will be available in PDF format on Virtuale].

3. Martin Lerner, The Flame and the Lotus, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1984. [Selected pages will be available in PDF format on Virtuale].

4. 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

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