ARTH 3020 - Arts of China

The course introduces the arts of China from the Neolithic period to the Qing Dynasty. We look at how the material remains such as bronzes, lacquers, and tomb sculpture shed light on the "Chinese" notion of the body, life after death, and immortality. Students are introduced to the different ethnic groups that came to rule China and subsequently, we question what constitutes "Chineseness" in Chinese art. Lastly, we see how the arts reflect and engage with religions and philosophies such as Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. One of the objectives of this course is to study how art objects de-center the so-called, "Middle Kingdom."