Postgraduate Course: China and the Silk Road (HIAR11051)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Humanities and Social Science |
| Course type | Standard |
Availability | Available to all students |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
Credits | 20 |
| Home subject area | History of Art |
Other subject area | None |
| Course website |
http://www.arthistory.ed.ac.uk/ |
Taught in Gaelic? | No |
| Course description | For centuries the main links between China and the west were the overland routes that passed through Central Asia. Known collectively as the Silk Road, these routes were travelled by merchants, soldiers, monks, and craftsmen among others. Coming from places as far away as Antioch (modern Turkey), Silk Road travellers brought with them new goods as well as new styles and motifs, skills, customs and ideas. Using both written and visual material, this seminar examines these commercial and cultural exchanges and their contribution to Chinese art and culture during the period from the end of the first millennium BCE through the 10th century CE. Topics will include: how influences were transmitted; the role of steppe nomads; Turfan under the Chinese; the impact of Iranian luxury goods; the Sogdians as both traders and Chinese residents; Dunhuang as a melting pot and Chinese responses to foreigners as reflected in painting and ceramics |
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
| Additional Costs | None |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| Displayed in Visiting Students Prospectus? | Yes |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course students will be able to identify the main ethnic participants and the key contributions that they made to Chinese art and culture. They will be able to discuss the introduction and evolution of specific techniques and styles in the production of luxury goods. They will be able to use textual and visual material to analyze how cultural attitudes and political agendas shaped Chinese responses to foreigners and foreign stimuli.
China and the Silk Road
l. Historical Introduction
2. The Sogdians
3. The Turfan Oasis
4. Architecture and Architectural Ornament
5. Metalware and Ceramics
6. Visit to the British Museum (reading week)
7. Glass and Textiles
8. No class
9. Daily Life
10. Dunhuang as a Melting Pot
11. Chinese Responses to Foreigners |
Assessment Information
| 4,000 word essay |
Special Arrangements
| None |
Additional Information
| Academic description |
Not entered |
| Syllabus |
Not entered |
| Transferable skills |
Not entered |
| Reading list |
Not entered |
| Study Abroad |
Not entered |
| Study Pattern |
Not entered |
| Keywords | Not entered |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Elaine Buck
Tel: 0131 651 1460
Email: ebuck@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Lucy Hawkins
Tel: 0131 221 6026
Email: Lucy.Hawkins@ed.ac.uk |
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