Buddhist Art in China (U03257)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 10 ? Acronym : ACE-3-Buddhist

The seminar aims to engage discussions on the interrelationship between art and Buddhist practices in China. Materials to be considered in the seminar include veneration of relics, duplication and adornment of religious texts, religious icons and their efficacy, cave-temples and other Buddhist architectures. Case studies of selected sites are applied for focused discussion on the complex relations of iconography and architecture; the interlocked relations of text, image, and relics in manifesting the Buddha?s presence; the analogy between the Buddhist nirvana and human death; monks and merchants on the Silk Road; and the Buddhist material culture that linked China with Korea and Japan. Attention will also be paid to methodological issues, especially in the cases where practices seem to belie texts.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : A pass in either History of Art 2 or Architectural History 2a and 2b, or equivalent.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

History of Art, (School of Arts, Culture and Environment, Schedule A)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : 3rd year

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 3 hour(s) per week for 11 weeks

First Class Information

Date	Start	End	Room	Area	Additional Information
07/01/2008	09:00	09:50	Lecture Room 1, Minto House	Central

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Monday	09:00	09:50	Central

? Additional Class Information : Seminars will take place on Thursdays from 2 to 3.50pm and from 4.10 to 6pm. Students are expected to attend one of these.

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

This course surveys the major developments of Buddhist art in China from the 3rd through the 18th century A.D. It has a strong emphasis on the connections between Buddhist art and the art created in other contexts such as in tomb burials and at court. It will be taught by a combination of lecture and seminars. Students are expected to become familiar with key monuments and foremost scholarship on the topic. They will also develop abilities to analyse individual works closely. While the Buddhist Canon tells people what they should do, modern archaeology has revealed information about what people actually did. In taking this course, students will learn how to make critical use of both textual and material evidence in the study of Chinese art. No knowledge of Chinese is expected, but students who do know the language will be guided to appropriate sources. Visits to the National Museums of Scotland may be required.