Lectures: MWF 10:10-11:05am, 212 Houghton House
Office Hours: M 3:00-4:00pm, F 1:30-2:30pm, or by appointment, 208 Houghton House

This course will examine Buddhist architecture, painting, and sculpture from South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Silk Road, and East Asia. We will consider five important movements in Buddhist practice: Theravāda, Mahāyāna, Esoteric, Pure Land, and Zen. Topics will include images of the life of the historic Buddha and tales of his previous lives; the role of the stūpa in Buddhist worship; the expansion of the Buddhist pantheon; associations between art and patronage; representations of multiple realms of existence; the development of the mandala; and the role of meditation in artistic practice. When appropriate, students will read Buddhist texts in translation. The course is cross-listed with Asian Languages & Cultures, Architectural Studies, and Media & Society. It addresses Goal 6 partially (an intellectually grounded foundation for the understanding of differences and inequalities of gender, race, and class), Goal 7 substantially (knowledge of the multiplicity of world cultures), and Goal 8 partially (an intellectually grounded foundation for ethical judgment and action).

Textbooks:

• Robert E. Fisher, Buddhist Art and Architecture (London: Thames & Hudson, 1993).
• Sherman Lee, A History of Far Eastern Art, 5th ed. (New York: Abrams, 1994).
• Donald S. Lopez, Jr., The Story of Buddhism: A Concise Guide to Its History & Teachings (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001).
• Sylvan Barnet, ed., A Short Guide to Writing about Art, 9th ed. (New York: Longman, 2008)—recommended for students new to art history.

Coursepack (available from the Art Department):
* Aryasura, "The King of the Monkeys," in Once the Buddha Was a Monkey: Arya Sura's "Jatakamala," trans. Peter Khoroche (Chicago and London: University of California Press, 1989), 186-192.
* Sally Hovey Wriggins, "Seeing the Famous Buddhas at Bamiyan," in Xuanzang: A Buddhist Pilgrim on the Silk Road (Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 1996), 43-45.
* Emperor Wuzong, "Emperor Wu-tsung's Edict on the Suppression of Buddhism," in Sources of Chinese Tradition, comp. Wm. Theodore de Bary et al. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1960), 1: 379-382.
* Kumarajiva, The Vimalakirti Sutra, trans. Burton Watson (New York: Columbia University Press, 1997), 64-74, 104-111.
* Karen Brock, trans., "Miraculous Origins of Mt. Shigi."
* Genshin, "The Essentials of Salvation," in Sources of Japanese Tradition, comp. Wm. Theodore de Bary et al., 2nd ed. (New York: Columbia University Press, 2001), 1: 217-222.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Week 1.          Jan. 20-22. Introduction.
Text: Fisher 7-28; Lopez 19-42.
Jan 20.             Overview of the course.
Jan. 22.            The life of the historic Buddha.

Week 2.          Jan. 25-29.  Early mainstream Buddhist art in India.
Text: Lopez 42-59; Fisher 29-39; Lee 80-93; Āryāśura 186-92.
Jan. 25.             Teachings of the historic Buddha and mainstream Buddhism.
Jan. 27.             Aniconic images.
Jan. 29.             Stūpas at Bhārhut and Sāñcī; RESPONSE PAPER DUE.

Week 3.          Feb. 1-5. Later mainstream Buddhist art in India.
Text: Fisher 39-41, 52-54, 56-57; Lee 86-87, 93-99.
Feb. 1.              The Mahābodhi Temple at Bodhgaya and the stūpa at Amarāvati.
Feb. 3.              Caitya halls at Bhāja, Karlī, and Ajānta.
Feb. 5.              How to write a research paper on a single work of art or architecture.

Week 4.          Feb. 8-12.        The spread of mainstream Buddhism.
Text:  Fisher 41-52, 66-71, 167-86; Lee 137-45.
Feb. 8.              LIBRARY ORIENTATION. Meet at the Reference Desk in the Library at 10:10am.
Feb. 10.            Architecture and sculpture in Sri Lanka.
Feb. 12.            Thai and Burmese art and architecture; PAPER TOPIC DUE.

Week 5.          Feb. 15-19. The development of Mahāyāna Buddhism.
Text: Fisher 54-56; Lee 99-122; Lopez 59-83, 103-29.
*Quiz this week*
Feb. 15.            Introduction to Mahāyāna Buddhism.
Feb. 17.            Kushan period sculpture and royal patronage of Buddhism.
Feb. 19.            Gupta period sculpture from Mathura and Sarnath.

Week 6.          Feb. 22-26. The spread of Mahāyāna Buddhism.
Text: Fisher 51-52, 57-61, 186-95; Lee 122-28, 151-52, 263-76; Wriggins 43-45.
Feb. 22.            Mahāyāna caitya halls and murals at Ajānta.
Feb. 24.            The colossal buddhas at Bamian.
Feb. 26.            Angkor temple complexes in Cambodia; ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY & SEARCH PRINTOUTS DUE.

Week 7.          Mar. 1-5.  The introduction of Mahāyāna Buddhism to China.
Text: Fisher 86-95; Lee 152-63; Lopez 92-97; Kumarajiva 64-74, 104-11.
Mar. 1.             Art from the caves at Miran, Kizil, and Dunhuang.
Mar. 3.             Royal patronage and colossal buddhas at Yungang and Longmen grottoes.
Mar. 5.             The debate between Vimalakīrti and Mañjuśrī in Chinese art; RESPONSE PAPER DUE.

Week 8.          Mar. 8-12. Mahāyāna Buddhism in the Tang dynasty.
Text: Fisher 96-115; Lee 171-73, 175-77; Emperor Wuzong 379-82.
Mar. 8.             TBA.
Mar. 10.           Imperial patronage at Chang’an and Longmen; FIRST TEST DUE.
Mar. 12.           Temple complexes of the Tang dynasty.

[March 13-21, SPRING BREAK]

Week 9.          Mar. 22-26. Mahāyāna Buddhism in Korea and Japan.
Text: Fisher 125-44, 156-61; Lee 163-71, 173-75, 177-88, 398-401.
Mar. 22.           Temple architecture and sculpture in Korea.
Mar. 24.           Architecture, sculpture, and painting at Horyūji.
Mar. 26.           Temples in Nara: Yakushiji and Tōdaiji.

Week 10.        Mar. 29-Apr. 2. The development of Esoteric Buddhism.
Text: Fisher 144-54, 195-203; Lee 145-50, 314-23, 356; Lopez 213-30; Brock.
Mar. 29.           A mandala in stone: Borobudur in Indonesia.
Mar. 31.           Tōshōdaiji, Murōji, and Tōji: Esoteric Buddhist art in Japan.
Apr. 2.              Miraculous origins of the Mt. Shigi temple; RESPONSE PAPER DUE.

Week 11.        Apr. 5-9. Esoteric art in Nepal and Tibet.
Text: Fisher 71-85; Lee 132-37.
Apr. 5.             Nepalese art and architecture.
Apr. 7.             Teachers, deities, and Tibetan architecture.
Apr. 9.             Tibetan protectors, wrathful deities, mandalas, and tantric images.

Week 12.        Apr. 12-16. Pure Land art and architecture in East Asia.
Text: Fisher 154-56, 161-62; Lee 324-47, 352-56; Lopez 230-42; Genshin 217-22.
*Quiz this week*
Apr. 12.            Chinese representations of realms of existence.
Apr. 14.            The Phoenix Hall and Japanese images of the Western Pure Land.
Apr. 16.            Japanese paintings of hells, hungry ghosts, and death and decay.

Week 13.        Apr. 19-23. Pure Land art and architecture in Japan and connections with Zen.
Text: Fisher 162-65; Lee 397-404, 413-16, 441-43; Lopez 242-52.
Apr. 19.            Images of Pure Land teachers.
Apr. 21.            Worshipping Amida and Kannon.
Apr. 23.            The Golden and Silver Pavilions in Kyōto; RESEARCH PAPER DUE.

Week 14.        Apr. 26-30. Zen, art and meditation in China and Japan.
Text: Fisher 115-24, 165-66; Lee 378-83, 417-40, 443-45, 547.
Apr. 26.            Chan paintings in the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties.
Apr. 28.            Zen paintings in the Muromachi and Edo periods.
Apr. 30.            Two Kyōto gardens.

Week 15.        May 3. Conclusions.  

Finals Week.   May 10. SECOND TEST DUE.

Course Requirements

1.         Class Participation (15%).  This includes regular and punctual attendance (see attendance policy) and participating in discussions in class or on the Blackboard discussion board. I grade participation on a daily basis, as follows: check-plus for speaking up in class or on the discussion board (even to ask a question or to answer one of my questions incorrectly), check for showing up to class but not speaking, check-minus for not paying attention or coming in late, zero (0) for not coming to class at all.

2.         Quizzes (5%).  Quizzes will be administered on Blackboard and available for one week. They are noted on the calendar and cannot be made up if missed.

3.         Response papers (15%).  Throughout the semester you will write three one-page papers responding to some of the primary sources we will read in translation. More details to follow.

4.         Research paper (25%), due Friday, April 23.  This is to be a short research paper (roughly 5-7 pages) on a single work of art or architecture. More details to follow.

5.         First Test (20%), due Wednesday, March 10.  This take-home test covers material from Weeks 1-7.

6.         Second Test (20%), due Monday, May 10, 11:30am.  This take-home test covers material from Weeks 8-15.

Office Hours
I am happy to meet with you outside of class during my office hours (see top of syllabus), or at another time that is convenient for you, in 208 Houghton House. The best way to reach me to set up an appointment is by e-mail, but please note that I regularly read e-mail only between 9:00am and 4:30pm.

Attendance Policy
I consider attendance at lectures to be mandatory. Asian art history is a challenging subject; don't make it impossible by skipping class! That said, if you have a reasonable excuse for missing a class, I expect you to notify me as soon as possible--preferably in advance--and to turn in a one-page essay on the topics covered on the day of your absence, within a week. Not doing so will give you a zero (0) for participation for that day. If you are absent four times or more, you should be prepared for me to notify the Deans about your performance. I will be taking attendance regularly. NOTE: leaving early or returning late for Spring Break does not count as an excused absence.

Attendance and Religious Holidays:
“The Colleges accept the responsibility of making available to each student who is absent from class because of religious obligations and practices an equivalent opportunity to make up any examination, study or work requirement missed.”
Please inform me in advance of any religious holidays when you will be out of class. I do my best to avoid religious holidays with regard to due dates, but there are times when that is impossible.  Please talk to me if you have any difficulties!

Format for Written Work
One of the things you will learn in an art history class is the importance of presentation. This applies to your written work as well:

1. Type all work in a 12-point font.
2. Double-space.
3. Leave one-inch margins on all sides.
4. Number your pages.
5. Staple your work.
6. Put your name on every page, and the date on the first page.
7. Check that your spelling, grammar and punctuation are correct--these are crucial to effective communication of your ideas. Your grade will drop if you have excessive errors.
8. If you cite another source, use either parenthetical references or footnotes. (See A Note about Cheating and Plagiarism below.) Make sure that you follow a standard documentation style, ideally the one found in the Chicago Manual of Style (which is what art historians most typically use).
9. Include a picture with a caption if appropriate (and please attach it to a clean sheet of paper--do not give me a loose postcard, an illustration torn from a magazine, or a copy of the book you found the picture in. Black-and-white photocopies are okay).

A Note about Cheating and Plagiarism
I will not tolerate any form of academic dishonesty. Not only does it destroy the trust that I have in you to do your best, it is unfair to the other students, and obviously you will not learn anything if you resort to cheating. If I find that you have cheated on a test or on a written assignment, you will receive a zero for the assignment and I will contact the Deans and/or the Committee on Standards about your case.

Now, just in case you are not clear about what plagiarism is: plagiarism is the use of someone else's words or ideas without giving that person credit. In application, this means that in your writing assignments, you need to cite your sources. When quoting directly from a text--say, five words or more in succession--you need to put those words in quotation marks and include a parenthetical reference or footnote citing the source. When rewriting a passage from a text in your own words, you don't need the quotation marks but you do still need the parenthetical reference or footnote. If you don't understand exactly what constitutes plagiarism, or how to use parenthetical references or footnotes, please ask me. I would prefer to explain what it is and how to avoid it before it happens rather than after.

Grading
Tests and quizzes will receive numerical grades; the research paper will receive a letter grade. Response papers will receive a check-plus, check, or check-minus.  Make-up written assignments, which count as part of your participation grade, will not receive a letter grade but a check or check-minus. If you are unsatisfied with a grade, please prepare a written statement explaining what grade you think you should have received and why, and submit it to me along with the assignment for review.

Assignments are due during the class period on the due date. Please turn in a hard copy . PLEASE NOTE:  I mark down one-third of a letter grade (for example, from A to A-) for each calendar day that a paper is late. If you think you will need an extension, you should talk to me as early as possible.

My grading scale is as follows:

A Note about the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)
Hobart and William Smith Colleges encourage students to seek academic collaborations and resources that will enable them to do their best work.  Students who would like to enhance their study skills, writing skills, or other academic skills may visit the CTL website at http://www.hws.edu/academics/ctl/index.aspx or contact the CTL at x3351.

Disability Accommodations
If you are a student with a disability for which you may need accommodations, you should self-identify and register for services with the Coordinator of Disability Services at the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), and provide documentation of your disability.  Disability related accommodations and services generally will not be provided until the registration and documentation process is complete.  The guidelines for documenting disabilities can be found at the following website: http://www.hws.edu/disabilities.

Please direct questions about this process or Disability Services at HWS to David Silver, Coordinator of Disability Services, at silver@hws.edu or x3351.

Websites
There are two websites for this course: one at my homepage, http://people.hws.edu/blanchard/Art253/; and one at Blackboard, http://courses.hws.edu. This syllabus, the paper assignments, links to reviews for the tests, and links to online resources for Buddhist art can be found at both. The Blackboard site also has a course calendar, daily handouts, a discussion board, and an online gradebook, and the quizzes are posted there.