Credit Metropolitan Museum of Art
GCHN-SHU 156
History of Chinese Art
Professor Lala Zuo
Course Description
This course surveys art, visual culture, and material culture in China from the Neolithic to the end of the 19th century. Approximately one-third of the lectures will be organized based on the different mediums used in art, such as ceramics, jades, bronzes, and sculptures. Some lectures are designed to contextualize art into separate functions, such as for funerary and Buddhist rituals. The rest classes stress the difference in patronage, such as imperial art and literati art. Particular attention will be paid to understanding objects within their original social and cultural contexts. We will also relate individual artworks to a broad cultural background, highlighting the influence of various religions, philosophies, and politics. The goal of this course is to familiarize students with the diverse body of artwork produced in premodern China, as well as to consider the role art has played in representing or negotiating identities, religions, history, and politics. Students will be trained in various art historical methodologies and will deepen their knowledge about one aspect of Chinese art history through a group curatorial project.
Student
Works
Sacrificial Rituals Under Chu Culture Online Exhibition
By Owen Jia, Peggy Che, Yifan Ouyang, Yuyang Hu
The exhibition was inspired by the Songs of Chu [Chu Ci], the traditional literature of the Chu culture, especially the work Jiu Ge, in which ten gods Chu people believed in were mentioned. The students found corresponding artifacts that not only have a connection with the gods but also with the worship traditions in Chu culture and curated an online exhibition. This website aims to help people to understand that the sacrificial rituals under the Chu culture contain not only the worship and sacrifice to the ancestors who are believed to be the Yellow Emperor and Zhurong, but also to the gods in nature.