University of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Art and Art History Fall 2014, Study Abroad in Kobe, Japan ART 380: Early Art of Japan – Buddhist Art and Visual Culture Instructor: Prof. John Szostak Credit hours: 3 Contact hours: 45 Course Description: This course explores the art of Japan’s early periods (prehistory through the 16th century) with special emphasis on Japanese Buddhist art and visual culture. The course structure combines reading- and lecture-based learning with a significant outside-the-classroom component in the form of multiple field trips. The class is tailored to take advantage of the many temples in the greater Kansai region that were central to the development of Japanese Buddhism and its art, as well as the presence of several museums that will allow students to experience first-hand the art objects under study. Student who successfully apply themselves in the course will emerge at its conclusion with a knowledge of the values and beliefs associated with the various schools of Japanese Buddhism, and how these are represented through such media as painting, sculpture, ritual implements, architecture, and garden design. The course begins with the Kofun period (ca. 250-552), especially its burial practices and funerary culture centered around the decorated mound tombs for which the period is named, including Goshiki Kofun, located in Kobe. The second section of the course covers the establishment of Buddhism in Japan during the Asuka period (552-710) and its expansion in the Nara period (710-784), and will be supplemented by a field trip to the Nara National Museum and several important surviving Nara-period temples (projected: Todaij, Yakushiji, Kofukuji, and Horyuji). In the third part of the class, focus will turn to Kyoto and the Heian (794-1185) and Kamakura (1185-1333) periods, when the introduction of several schools of Buddhism (including Pure Land, Shingon, and Zen) resulted in the new styles of sculpture, painting and architecture. During this section, the class will visit the Kyoto National Museum and several important Kyoto temples and gardens (projected: Byodoin, Nanzenji, Ginkakuji, Daitokuji, Ryoanji). Student Learning Outcomes: This course is designed to meet the designated student learning outcomes associated with the Study Abroad Center, some of which will be achieved through students’ mastery of the subject material under study through direct encounters in the field, and some through the interactive and productive responses to this material through course assignments. Some of the sites and works under study differ dramatically, both physically and conceptually, from the models of religious art found in the West, allowing students to reflect on their own cultural values and potential biases, something they will be asked to address directly in their writing assignments. Also, by taking advantage of the smaller class size, students will be allowed to do more group work than is usually possible in a large lecture class, for in addition to the instructor’s lectures, learning segments will include debate sessions that will require students to develop a discussion agenda on an assigned topic. This gives them to chance to demonstrate an increased capacity to analyze issues relevant to the course with appreciation for disparate viewpoints, allowing for a deeper degree of personal engagement with the material under study, which usually translates into increased expertise in the course material. Furthermore, students will be required to collaborate by undertaking deep critiques of essays written by their peers. Through this method, students will experience the challenged and rewards of successful collaboration, and be given the chance to demonstrate their capacity to communicate appropriately and effectively with diverse individuals and groups. Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this course, although background in the form of previous coursework in art history (especially that of Japan or China), in Japanese history, or in Buddhist studies will be helpful. All lectures, discussion, and assignments will be in English. Texts and Materials The course text is Penelope Mason, History of Japanese Art (2004), which will be supplemented by a selection of readings available on the UHM Laulima website. Since the readings intended as lecture preparation, students are expected to have completed reading assignments before the lecture for which they are assigned. Coursework and Grade Assessment: Final grades will be calculated according to the following distribution scheme: Class participation (10%): Class meetings will be a combination of lecture, discussion, learning activities, and group presentations. Attendance to all class meetings, including field trips, is required. Weekly quizzes (20%): Weekly quizzes will be given in order to emphasize core concepts and reinforce the need to keep up with reading assignments. Field trip journals (30%): The field trip journal can be in the form of a notebook, a scrapbook, or an internet blog. Guidelines will be supplied in the first week of class. The journal is the students’ way of sharing reactions and reflections with the instructor and with each other (if desired), and should reflect each student’s individual experience of the various temple sites and museums we visit. While creativity is encouraged, grades will primarily reflect the quality of the thoughts and ideas expressed in the journals. Writing assignments (40%): Students will produce two short essays, the first to be written on an aspect of one of the Buddhist temples included in our field trip itinerary, and the second on an object (painting, sculpture, or Buddhist ritual implement) viewed at either the Nara or Kyoto National Museum. A third, longer paper is also required, which will be an expanded version to one of the two shorter essays; as part of the revising process, students will pair up in order to read and critique each others’ work. These three writing assignments will include visual documentation (photographs or drawings) to be produced onsite by the students themselves. Guidelines for writing assignments will be available the first week of class. Overview of Study Topics and Schedule: The following is a projection of the reading and lecture topics planned for the course, as well as the projected field trip itineraries. 1) Sept. xx: Intro to Course Topics: This week will set up the parameters of learning for this course. Since a main thread is the development of Buddhist art in Japan, students will obtain a general understanding of the precepts, priorities and world-view of the Buddhist faith, as well as some exposure to the diversity found under the umbrella of Buddhism. READ: Mason, 8-17; Gina Barnes, “An Introduction to Buddhist Archaeology.” World Archaeology, Vol. 27, No. 2 (Oct., 1995), 165-182. 2) Sept. xx: Japan’s pre-Buddhist Kofun culture Topics: We cover the art of Japan prior to the introduction of Buddhism, and the various proto-Shinto art concepts and prototypes that developed in the Kofun era (250-538). Special attention will be paid to tomb art, and the “keyhole” style tumuli or kofun (“old tombs”) that give the era its name. Many of the most important kofun are located in the greater Osaka region, and these will get special focus. READ: Mason, 17-29; Teruya Esaka, "Art Before the Tumulus Period," in The Beginnings of Japanese Art (New York: Weatherhill, 1973), 152-165. 3) Sept. xx: Asuka Period and Japan’s Earliest Buddhist Art Topics: Focus this week is on Asuka-era (538-710) Buddhism and its art, and the introduction of international styles of painting, sculpture and architecture from the East Asian continent. Special attention will be given to the temples Horyuji and Hokkiji in Nara, since the students will have the opportunity to visit these sites in week 4. READ: David Young and Michilko Young, Introduction to Japanese Architecture (Hong Kong: Periplus Editions. 2004), 26-33; Akiyama Terukazu, Japanese Painting (New York: Skira Rizzoli, 1977), 10-17. 4) Sept. xx: Field Trip #1 to Nara: Nara Nat. Museum, Horyuji, Hokkiji Goal: to view some of the pre-Buddhist art objects and artifacts studied in week 2 and to view the murals, sculpture and architecture in situ at Horyuji and Hokkiji. READ: Mason, 53-62; Paul Varley, Japanese Culture (Honolulu: Univ. of Hawai'i Press, 2000), 19-36. 5) Oct. xx: Nara-period Imperial Patronage of Buddhist art Topics: The Nara period (710-795) was a golden age for Buddhist art in Japan. It also saw what could be called the country’s first encompassing monarchy, in the sense that much of Japan allegiance to the Nara court. International relations are also discussed, especially with Tang China, which came to serve as an important model of social, cultural, and political reference for Nara Japan. The introduction and development of such Nara-period art forms as calligraphy, ceramics, textiles and metalwork are intimately tied to the transmission of Buddhist ideology through gifts and other material exchanges with Tang. The Shosoin treasure house will receive special attention, since visiting this site is on the agenda for field trip #2 in week 8. READ: Mason, 62-77; Jiro Sugiyama, Classic Buddhist Sculpture: The Tempyo Period (Tokyo: Kodansha International, 1982), 27-36. John Rosenfield, et al. Buddhist Treasures from Nara (Cleveland and New York: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1998), 1-29. 6) Oct. xx: Nara-Tenpyo Sculpture Topics: Japan’s 8th century, especially the Tenpyo period (729-749), saw an explosive development of a wide range of sculptural styles in a variety of media, including wood, bronze, clay, and lacquer. This week, students will encounter examples of each type of sculpture, and in addition to learning about stylistic developments, they will learn about the diverse construction processes used to make them. READ: Mason, 77-94; Sugiyama, cont., 37-51 7) Oct. xx: Special Focus: Todaiji, Toshodaiji Topic: This week is intended to prepare students for their encounter with architecture and sculpture at Todaiji and at Toshodaiji in week 8.