Universität Wien

080031 PS Case Study II/III: Cave Temples of Early Medieval China (2020S)

5.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 8 - Kunstgeschichte und Europäische Ethnologie
Continuous assessment of course work
Moodle

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 25 participants
Language: German

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

Der Termin am 28.05 wird ausfallen.

  • Thursday 05.03. 12:30 - 14:00 Seminarraum 2 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-20
  • Thursday 19.03. 12:30 - 14:00 Seminarraum 2 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-20
  • Thursday 26.03. 12:30 - 14:00 Seminarraum 2 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-20
  • Thursday 02.04. 12:30 - 14:00 Seminarraum 2 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-20
  • Thursday 23.04. 12:30 - 14:00 Seminarraum 2 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-20
  • Thursday 30.04. 12:30 - 14:00 Seminarraum 2 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-20
  • Thursday 07.05. 12:30 - 14:00 Seminarraum 2 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-20
  • Thursday 14.05. 12:30 - 14:00 Seminarraum 2 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-20
  • Thursday 28.05. 12:30 - 14:00 Seminarraum 2 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-20
  • Thursday 04.06. 12:30 - 14:00 Seminarraum 2 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-20
  • Thursday 18.06. 12:30 - 14:00 Seminarraum 2 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-20
  • Thursday 25.06. 12:30 - 14:00 Seminarraum 2 d. Inst. f. Kunstgeschichte UniCampus Hof 9 3F-EG-20

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

Cave Temples are major monuments of early Buddhist art in China, and a testament to the importance of Buddhism as a political tool for the Northern Wei emperors. This course aims will attempt a “close reading” of the richly decorated Dunhuang, Yungang and Longmen caves, as well as explore how recent archaeological discoveries and developments in the historiography of the region can help us re-evaluate this site. Attention will be paid to the place of cave temples in the transfer of Buddhist motifs from South and Central Asia, as well as the presence of motifs hailing from the nomadic context in Yungang’s decorative repertoire. Secondary literature on the site will be read critically, with an eye to how interpretations of the cave are grounded in deeper assumptions on the nature of northern Chinese identity in the medieval period.
Objectives: By the end oft he course, students should be able to:
1. The ability to identify elements of Buddhist iconography, including figures, narratives and motifs, characteristic for the medieval Chinese period.
2. A sophisticated understanding of the iconography, stylistic development, architecture and social history of the Dunhuang, Yungang and Longmen Cave Temples, as well as related cave-temple complexes.
3. Comprehension and proper use of relevant art historical terminology.
4. The critical use of visual, archaeological and written sources for medieval Chinese art history, as well as the secondary literature in the field.
Contents and Methods:
Seminar discussion, identification exercises, group exercises, presentations with peer-feedback sessions, essay.

Assessment and permitted materials

- active participation in seminar discussion 15%
- class presentation 30%
- written seminar paper 55% (15.000 - 20.000 characters)

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

- active participation in seminar discussion 15%
- class presentation 30%
- written seminar paper 55%

Examination topics

See above

Reading list

Abe, Stanley K. 2002. Ordinary images. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Wong, Dorothy C. 2004. Chinese steles: pre-Buddhist and Buddhist use of a symbolic form. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
Rhie, Marylin M. 1999. Early Buddhist art of China and Central Asia. Leiden: Brill.
Mizuno, Seiichi, and Toshio Nagahiro. 1951. Yün-käng, the Buddhist cave-temples of the fifth century A.D. in North China: detailed report of the archaeological survey carried out by the mission of the Tōbōbunka Kenkyūsho 1938-45. [Kyoto]: Jimbunkagaku Kenkyusho, Kyoto University.

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:20