Buddhist Art in Asia: Interactions in Faith and Form

3 units

This course emphasizes Chinese Buddhist art and its transmission to and interaction with the visual traditions of India, Central Asian, China, Korea, Japan, Tibet and Southeast Asia. We trace the development of Buddhist art from its origins in India to other parts of Asia by analyzing the transregional and transcultural dissemination of religious ideas and forms. A focus on Buddhist architecture, paintings, sculptures and objects allows us to rethink traditional notions of the religious, cultural and artistic basis of changes in Buddhist art across Asia. Readings and discussions will cover Buddhist grottos, monasteries, sculpture, mural, scrolls, and wood-block printed books, as well as scriptural sources (all readings will be in English). The development of specific iconographies and issues of patronage will also be discussed, based on dynastic, geographic, and media-based divisions. Prereqs: Introduction to Asian Art or one course in East Asian Studies recommended.