81724 - History of Chinese and Japanese Art (1) (LM)

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course the student will have acquired a thorough knowledge of the main art-historical topics regarding China and Japan. He will be able to discuss them effectively both orally and in writing, using the appropriate terminology and with suitable bibliographic references. He will be in possession of the skills required to place artworks from the area in question in their proper context.

Course contents

The Image of the Buddha: origin and development  of the iconography of the Enlightened One and other Buddhas in China and Japan.

The course will be devoted to the representations of the Buddha in China and Japan. It will begin with an overview of the debate on the origin of the Buddha image in India and will proceed with the current views on the mode and paths of its transmission to China and Japan. The lectures will concentrate on representation of Śākyamuni, Maitreya and Amitābha through the analysis of various examples of Chinese and Japanese sculptures and paintings dating from the 5^th to the 15^th century. The final lecture will summarize the salient topics and problems explored during the course and will include exercises in preparation for the exam. A detailed programme of the topics discussed in each lecture will be provided in the first lecture and will be included among the teaching materials on the "Insegnamenti OnLine" platform.

Course timetable:

From MONDAY 10th February 2020

MONDAY, 15–17, Aula 2, Dipartimento di Storia Culture Civilità, via Zamboni, 33.

TUESDAY, 15–17, Aula 2, Dipartimento di Storia Culture Civilità, via Zamboni, 33.

THURSDAY, 15.30–17, Aula 2, Dipartimento di Storia Culture Civilità, via Zamboni, 33.

Readings/Bibliography

- A. Thompson, "In the Absence of the Buddha", in R. M.Brown e D. S. Hutton (eds), A Companion to Asian Art and Architecture, Wiley-Blackwell, 2011, pp. 404-413. [available in the teaching material]

- P. Mitter, Indian Art, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2001. [excerpts]* p. 20 ("The Buddha Image controversy") and pp. 23-26.

- M. Taddei, "Some Reflections on the Formation of the Buddha Image", in G. Verardi e A. Filigenzi (eds), On Gandhāra, Napoli, Università degli Studi di Napoli, 2003, pp. 593-607. [available in the teaching material]

- R. Whitfield, "Early Buddha images from Hebei", Artibus
Asiae, 65, 2005, pp. 87-98. [available in the teaching material]

- N. Celli, "All'alba dell'arte buddhista in Cina. Nuove proposte interpretative sull'icona del Buddha in meditazione", in M. Abbiati and F. Greselin (eds), Il liuto e i libri, Venezia, Edizioni Ca' Foscari, 2015, pp. 205-220. [available in the teaching material]

- Wu Hung, “Reborn in Paradise: A Case Study of Dunhuang Sutra Painting and its Religious, Ritual and Artistic Context”, Orientations, 23, 5, 1992, pp. 52-60. [available in the teaching material]

- Mizuo Hiroshi, “Representations of Raigō in Buddhist Art”, Japan Quarterly, 17, 1, 1970, pp. 51-57. [available in the teaching material]

- Helmut Brinker, “Shussan Shaka in Sung and Yüan Painting”, Ars Orientalis, Vol. 9, 1973, pp. 21-40. [available in the teaching material]

- D. Wong, "Maitreya Buddha Statues at the University of Pennsylvania Museum", Orientations, 32, 2, 2001, pp. 24-31. [can be downloaded: http://www.virginia.edu/art/pdf/wong-articles/18.pdf]

- D. Wong, "Four Sichuan Buddhist Steles and the Begeinnings of Pure Land Imagery in China", Archives of Asian Art, vol. 51, 1998/99, pp. 56-79. [can be downloaded: http://www.virginia.edu/art/pdf/wong-articles/3.pdf]

- A. F. Howard (ed.), Chinese Sculpture, New Haven, Yale University Press, 2003. [excerpts]* pp. 201-275; pp. 293-97; pp. 298-299 (only in reference to figs. 3.105-107).

- P. Mason, History of Japanese Art, Upper Saddle River, Pearson, 2004 (second edition).[excerpts]* pp. 57-69; 70-73; 83-84; 85-87 (in reference to Tōdaiji); 94 (in reference to Birushana Buddha); 141-147; 205-209; 211-212 (introduction to zen); 324-326 (Hakuin Ekaku)

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

*These books are found in the library of the Dept. of History and Civilization, Via Zamboni, 33.

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.

Teaching tools

Power point presentations

Office hours

See the website of Nicoletta Celli