ART 117B: Art of China and Japan

Spring 2006

California State University, Sacramento

Professor: Pat Chirapravati

Office: Kadema room 186, Phone: 916-278-3880

Office hours: Mondays 9-10 a.m. and Wednesdays 3-5 p.m. And by appointment

E-mail: [email-masked]; Website: www.csus.edu/indiv/c/chirapravati and www.csus.asn.edu/art

ART 117B is a General Education course in Area C-4 (Further Studies in the Arts and Humanities).  It covers the development of art in China and Japan from pre-historic periods to the present. Students will learn about the art (development of styles and iconography), short history, geography, ethnic populations, languages, and religions of each country.  Throughout the semester, important sites and schools of art will be used as examples.  Lectures will include slide and video presentations. The first half of the semester will cover Chinese art and the second half Japanese art.

COURSE OBJECTIVES:

Students will identify the singular features of Chinese and Japanese art styles.

Students will be able to apply an acquired knowledge base in identifying unfamiliar art objects.

Student will classify work according to particular cultural periods.

Students will develop a terminology appropriate in the discussion of Asian art.

Students will become familiar with important cultural heritage sites in each country studied.

GOALS:

Students will learn about the region’s art styles, iconography, history, geography, ethnic populations, language, and religions.

Students will be exposed to the development of cultural traditions of China and Japan.

REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING:

This course counts for 3 units and is letter graded. Regular participation in class is of the utmost importance and attendance will be taken. This course has three in-class exams with slide identifications and essay questions and one paper. List of slides shown in class are made available on the instructor’s web site. These images are also illustrated in the text-books.

Grades for the course will be determined according to the following formula: 25% for each of the three exams and 25% for the paper. Each test will consist of slide identification and essay questions. The basic slide identification should include the title or name of the object, the name of the artist (if known), the specific period or culture represented. Essays will require discussion of the significant art historical features and relationships to aesthetic issues. Attendance will be used as an independent variable applied after other grades have been averages. Specifically, four unexcused absences will result in a reduction by one grade.

READINGS:

Two required textbooks, available at the bookstore:

Robert L. Thorp and Richard Ellis Vinograd, Chinese Art and Culture

(New York: Prentice Hall, Inc. & Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, 2001)

S. Baker, Japanese Art (London: Thames and Hudson, 1984)

Each lecture has a reading assignment listed in the class schedule. Students should make sure to read it before class. Some books will be put on reserve at the library. Students should read all assignments in the required text for each week.

EXAMS:

Exams will be based on information from both lectures and readings. A slide review, scheduled before each exam, will cover the 40-50 (approximately) works of art that a student is expected to know for the test.  All of the digital images shown in class will be posted on the instructor’s website for individual review on a regular basis.

MAKE-UP EXAM POLICY:

Make-up exams will be given only under special circumstances. If student knows in advance that he or she has a serious conflict with a scheduled exam, it is his or her responsibility to discuss the situation with the instructor as soon as possible. If an illness or unexpected emergency prevents a student from coming to the exam, the student should contact the instructor within 24 hours of the day on which the exam was held.

TERM PAPER (DUE IN CLASS ON MAY 11):

This will be an essay of 10 double-spaced, typed pages (12 point type, one inch margins). The paper assignment will be given out in the February and the final essay will be due in class on May 11 (late papers will not receive full credit).

Students are free to choose any topic of interest in the range of EDO PERIOD of Japanese art. Illustrations should be included in the paper.  Students need to write the paper in their own words. If any passages from books, articles, or web sites are quoted or paraphrased, footnotes must be used to identify the sources. All quoted material must be set within quotation marks or otherwise set off from the rest of the text (long quotations may be indented and have a different spacing: see a style guide).  Plagiarism is not acceptable and will result in a failing grade on the assignment.   If you have any doubts about the meaning of this term, consult the University Library website:                http://library.csus.edu/content2.asp?pageID=353

Sources of reference:

Students need to use more than three books to do research on the topic chosen. Any information taken from any web sites also must be cited.

Writing style:

Students need to follow the guidelines of one of the major writing style guides such as the Chicago Manual of Style.

SCHEDULE OF CLASSES

Jan. 24            CHINA (text book: Chinese Art and Culture)

Introduction and Geography of China and Japan

Jan. 26            Bronze Age in China:  Shang (BCE 1523 - 1028) and Chou

(B.C. 1027 - 256) (Ch. 1-3):

-Bronze vessels

Jan. 31            Qin Dynasty (BCE 221 - 206) (Ch. 4)

-Emperor Qin Huan-ti tomb

-Lacquer ware and jade

Feb. 2              Han dynasties (BCE 206 -  200 CE) (Ch.4)

-Han Imperial tombs

-Painted Banner from Mawangdi Tomb

Feb. 7              Six Dynasty (220 – 589 CE) (Ch. 5)

Buddhist art of the Northern Wei period:

-Yang Kang caves and Mogao cave, Dun Huang

Tang period (618 – 907 CE) (Ch. 6)

-Lungmen Caves, Luoyang

Feb. 9              Tang period (618 – 907 CE) (Ch. 6)

-Three-colored-wares

-Paintings by Yen Liben and Han Gan

Northern Song Period (960 – 1127 CE) (Ch.7)

-Ceramics

-Landscape paintings by Emperor Huizong, Fan Kuan, Gao Xi

Feb. 14            Review for Exam I

Feb. 16            Exam I: China (please bring a blue book  to the exam)

Feb. 21            Southern Song Period (1127 – 1279 CE)

-Landscape paintings: Paintings of Ma Yuan and Zhao Boju

Feb. 23            Southern Song Period

-Buddhist art: Chan Buddhist

-Chan paintings by Liang Kai and Muqi

Feb. 28            Yuan Period (1280 – 1368 CE) (Ch. 8)

-Liu Garden

-Paintings by Shang Xi, Zhao Mengfu, Huang Gong Wang, Ni Zan

March 2          Ming Period (1368-1644 CE)

-Ceramics industry at Jingdezhen: celedon, blue-and-white porcelain, and five color wares

- Landscape paintings by Wen Zhengming and Dong Qichang

Qing Period (1644 – 1912 CE)

-Forbidden City

March 7          Review for Exam II

March 9          Exam II: China (please bring a blue book to the exam)

March 13-18   Spring Break

March 21        JAPAN (text book: Japanese Art)

Pre-historic periods in Japan (early times – 552 CE) (Ch.1 and 2)

-Jomon

-Kofun: Haniwa figurines

March 23        Asuka (552 – 645 CE) (Ch.3, pp. 24-46)

-Shinto shrines

-Buddhist art and architecture: Horyuji temple

March 28        Nara Period (645 – 794 CE) (Ch.3, pp. 46-58)

-Toshodaiji

-Tempyo secular art

March 30        Heian Period (794 – 1185 CE) (Ch. 4, pp. 59-76)

-Shingon Buddhism: Mandala

-Pure Land Buddhism: Phoenix Hall, Uji

April 4             Heian Period (794 - 1185) (Ch. 4, pp. 76-95)

-Japanese painting: Tale of Genji, Shigisan Engi, and Choju Giga

April 6             Kamakura Period (1185 - 1333) (Ch. 4, pp. 96-106; Ch. 5, pp. 107-17)

-War Tale paintings

-Sculptures

Muromachi Period (1392 – 1573 CE) (Ch. 5, pp, 117-140)

-Ink Painting by Mokuan, Joetsu, Shubun, and Sesson

April 11           Muromachi Period (1392 – 1573 CE) (Ch. 5, pp, 117-140)

-Zen Dry Landscape Garden: Ryonji and Daisen-in

April 13           -Tea Ceremony and Video in class:  “Performing Art of Japan”  (pt. 1)

April 18           Momoyama Period (1573 – 1615 CE) (Ch. 6, pp. 141-157)

-Castle and palace

-Folding Screens by Sotatsu and Tohaku

April 20           Momoyama Period (1573 – 1615 CE) (Ch. 6, pp. 141-157)

-Ceramics: Oribe ware

-Rimpa style of painting

April 25           Review for Exam III (Japan)

April 27           Exam III

May  2            Edo period (A. D. 1615 - 1868) (Ch. 6, pp. 166-172)

-Art of Ogata Korin

-Japanese textile

-Zenga paintings by Zengai and Hakuin

May 4             Edo period (A. D. 1615 - 1868) (Ch. pp. 185-193)

-Ukiyo-e printing: Utamaru, Sharaku

Video in class:  “Performing Art of Japan” (pt. 2)

May 9            Hokusai

May 11           Hiroshige

* Term paper is due in class on May 11*

NO Final Examination