Course description:
This course will take an interdisciplinary approach to the arts and culture of Japan from the Neolithic period through the twentieth century. We will consider examples of visual media in the context of Japanese literature, history, society, and religions. Topics will include Shintō architecture, Buddhist art (including Pure Land and Zen), narrative picture scrolls, traditional and western-style paintings, shōin architecture, gardens, tea ceremony ceramics, and ukiyo-e prints ("pictures of the floating world"). Students will read primary sources in translation, including Shintō myths, Buddhist texts, and selections from literature. There are no prerequisites, and no previous exposure to Japanese art or culture is necessary. The course is cross-listed with Asian Languages & Cultures, Architectural Studies and Media & Society. It addresses Goals 6 (an intellectually grounded foundation for the understanding of differences and inequalities of gender, race, and class) and 7 (knowledge of the multiplicity of world cultures).

Learning objectives:
One objective is for students to gain practical skills useful in any study of art history, including an understanding of how meaning can be encoded in visual media and improved proficiency in writing and research. More conceptual learning objectives include understanding how works of art and architectural sites operate as historical artifacts that reveal current ideas on politics, religion, and society; that painting is a creative endeavor with strong ties to literature; and broader knowledge of the connections between Japanese and world cultures.

Books:
* Penelope Mason, History of Japanese Art, 2nd ed. (New York: Abrams, 2005).
* Sylvan Barnet, ed., A Short Guide to Writing about Art, 10th ed. (New York: Longman, 2011)— recommended for students new to art history.

Supplementary handouts:
* Wm. Theodore de Bary et al., ed., Sources of Japanese Tradition, Vol. 1, 2nd ed. (New York: Columbia University Press, 2001), 1-9, 17-31, 36, 114-15, 217-22, 274-76, 388-98.
* Akiyama Terukazu, “Women Painters at the Heian Court,” trans. Maribeth Graybill, in Flowering in the Shadows: Women in the History of Chinese and Japanese Painting, ed. Marsha Weidner (Honolulu: University of Hawai‘i Press, 1990), 159-84.
* Karen Brock, trans., “Miraculous Origins of Mt. Shigi.”
* Jonathan M. Reynolds, “Japan's Imperial Diet Building: Debate over Construction of a National Identity,” Art Journal 55, no. 3 (Winter 1996): 38-47.

Weekly schedule:

INTRODUCTION AND PREHISTORIC PERIOD.

Jan. 22 (W).     Overview of the course.

Jan. 24 (F).      The Jōmon and Yayoi periods.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 13-29.

Jan. 27 (M).     Keyhole-shaped tombs of the Kofun period.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 29-34.
• De Bary, Sources of Japanese Tradition, 3-9.

Jan. 29 (W).     Ritual artifacts and ornamented tombs of the Kofun period.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 34-39.

Jan. 31 (F).      Shintō architecture at Izumo and Ise.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 53-57.
• De Bary, Sources of Japanese Tradition, 17-31, 36.

Feb. 3 (M).       Research and writing in art history.

Feb. 5 (W).      Art from the continent in Heijōkyō (Nara).

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 40-53, 98-99.

Feb. 7 (F).        Introduction to Buddhism and early Japanese Buddhist art.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 57-60.

Feb. 10 (M).     Architecture of Hōryūji and its precedents.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 60-65.

Feb. 12 (W).    Sculpture and painting at Hōryūji.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 70-83.

Feb. 14 (F).      Architecture and art at Yakushiji and Kōfukuji.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 65-68, 83-84.
• RESEARCH PAPER PROPOSAL due.

Feb. 17 (M).     Emperor Shomu and the origins of Tōdaiji.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 68-69, 84-87.
• De Bary, Sources of Japanese Tradition, 114-15; RESPONSE PAPER due.

Feb. 19 (W).    Later construction at Tōdaiji and Tōshōdaiji.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 69-70, 87-98.

Feb. 21 (F).      Imperial palace and aristocratic estates in Heiankyō (Kyōto).

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 99-109.
• QUIZ this week.

Feb. 24 (M).Literature, calligraphy, poetry, and the rise of yamato-e.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 109-16.

Feb. 26 (W).Japanese narratives and picture scrolls.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 116-18, 120-22.
• Akiyama, “Women Painters at the Heian Court,” 159-84; RESPONSE PAPER due.

Feb. 28 (F).      Tōji and Esoteric Buddhist texts.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 122-32.

Mar. 3 (M).      Esoteric Buddhist sculpture and architecture.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 132-41.

Mar. 5 (W).      Picture scrolls and Esoteric Buddhism.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 118-20.
• Brock, trans., “Miraculous Origins of Mt. Shigi.”

Mar. 7 (F).       Representing the Pure Land in art and architecture.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 141-47.
• De Bary, Sources of Japanese Tradition, 217-22.

Mar. 9 (Sun.).  Field trip to the Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University. Optional.

Mar. 10 (M).    Shaka, Amida, and Kannon worship in art and architecture.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 147-57.

Mar. 12 (W).    Shinto arts and patronage.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 161-65.

Mar. 14 (F).     Political arts in the Kamakura period.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 166-77, 181-84.
• De Bary, Sources of Japanese Tradition, 274-76.
• ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY and RESEARCH WORKSHEETS due.

[Mar. 15-23, Spring Break]

Mar. 24 (M).    Buddhist art and architecture associated with the Kei School.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 184-95.

Mar. 26 (W).    Esoteric and Pure Land Buddhist picture scrolls in the Kamakura period.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 195-205.

Mar. 28 (F).     Pure Land devotional paintings in the Kamakura period.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 205-11.

Mar. 31 (M).    Zen architecture and gardens in the Muromachi period.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 211-17, 227-31.
• FIRST TEST due.

Apr. 2 (W).      Priest-painters in the Muromachi period.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 217-26.

Apr. 4 (F).        Introduction to tea culture.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 231-33, 247-52.
• De Bary, Sources of Japanese Tradition, 388-98.

Apr. 7 (M).      Castles in the Momoyama and early Edo period.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 235-43.

Apr. 9 (W).      The Katsura Imperial Villa; film: Traditional Japanese Architecture. 

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 243-44.
• QUIZ this week.

Apr. 11 (F).      Writing workshop.

Apr. 14 (M).   The Kanō school and independent masters.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 254-66.

Apr. 16 (W).    Ukiyo-e: paintings and prints of the floating world.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 272-76, 278-92.

Apr. 18 (F).      Sōtatsu and the Rinpa school.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 267-71, 296-99, 312-17.

Apr. 21 (M).    Religious architecture, sculpture, and painting.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 305-10, 324-26.
• RESEARCH PAPER due.

Apr. 23 (W).    Realist and eccentric painters.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 317-24.

Apr. 25 (F).      Bunjinga: literati painting and Chinese themes and styles.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 326-42.

Apr. 28 (M).    Tokyo architecture after the Meiji Restoration.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 343-45, 345-51.
• Reynolds, “Japan's Imperial Diet Building,” 38-47; RESPONSE PAPER due.

Apr. 30 (W).    Meiji, Taishō and Shōwa era painting.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 361-81.

May 2 (F).        Prints, photos, and multimedia art.

• Mason, History of Japanese Art, 382-91.

May 5 (M).      Conclusions.

May 11 (Sun.), 10:00pm.  SECOND TEST due.

Course requirements:

2.         Quizzes (5%). Quizzes will be administered online, on Canvas. Missed quizzes cannot be made up..

3.         Response papers (15%). Throughout the semester you will write several 300-600-word papers responding to some of the assigned primary and secondary sources. More details to follow.

4.         Research paper (25%), due Monday, Apr. 21. In this paper (1500-2100 words) you will focus on a single Japanese work of art or building. More details to follow.

5.         First test (20%), due Monday, Mar. 31. This take-home test covers material through Wednesday, Mar. 12.

6.         Second test (20%), due Monday, May 11, 10:00pm. This take-home test covers material through Monday, May 5.

Communications:
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.

If I need to contact students, I generally will do so via HWS e-mail and through Announcements on Canvas (see Websites below). You should develop the habit of checking both on a regular basis (I recommend doing so daily).

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, ideally within a week. Not doing so will directly impact your participation grade. 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.

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. Put your name and the date on the first page.
6. 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.
7. If you cite another source, use either parenthetical references or footnotes as explained in the Chicago Manual of Style, the documentation style typically used by art historians. (See A note about cheating and plagiarism below.)
8. Include pictures with captions if appropriate.

You can submit written work via Canvas. Please upload a Microsoft Word document (.doc, .docx), Rich Text Format file (.rtf), or a Portable Document Format file (.pdf): these are the only formats that Canvas will accept. Alternatively, you can turn in a stapled hard copy to me during the class period. PLEASE NOTE: I do not accept papers via e-mail.

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. I follow the recommendation of the Committee on Standards; if it also finds evidence of cheating or plagiarism, the recommendation is usually failure of the course at a minimum. See the Colleges’ Principle of Academic Integrity and General Academic Regulations (http://www.hws.edu/catalogue/policies.aspx) and the Handbook of Community Standards (http://www.hws.edu/studentlife/pdf/community_standards.pdf), pp. 38-40.

Grading:
Tests, quizzes, and the research paper receive numerical grades. Class participation and response papers will receive a check-plus (95), check (85), check-minus (75), or zero (0). Make-up written assignments, which count as part of your participation grade, will receive 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.

My grading scale is as follows:

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL):
At Hobart and William Smith Colleges, we encourage you to seek the resources that will enable you to succeed. The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is one of those resources: CTL programs and staff help you engage in your learning, accomplish the tasks before you, enhance your thinking and skills, and empower you to do your best. Resources at CTL are many: Study Mentors help you find more time and manage your responsibilities; Q Fellows help you think logically and analytically through problems involving quantitative reasoning; Writing Fellows help you think well on paper; and professional staff members help you assess academic needs. 

I encourage you to explore these and other CTL resources designed to encourage your very best work. You can talk with me about these resources, visit the CTL office on the 2nd floor of the library to discuss options with the staff, or visit the CTL website at http://www.hws.edu/academics/ctl/index.aspx.

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 in the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL). You will be required to 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, or from the HWS homepage, go to Quicklinks and scroll down to disability services.

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

Websites:
There are two websites for this course: one at my homepage and one at Canvas. This syllabus, paper assignments, and links to online resources for Asian art can be found at both. The Canvas site also has a course calendar, daily handouts, discussions, and an online gradebook; I plan to post presentations there as well.

To use Canvas, log in with your campus username and password. Once you have logged in, you should see, at the top left of the screen, a drop-down menu for courses you are enrolled in, as well as links to your assignments, grades, and calendar. At the top right, you should see links to your own Canvas inbox and your settings, as well as the Logout and Help links.

It is essential for you to get in the habit of logging into Canvas regularly, as one way I will communicate with the class is via Canvas announcements, and I will post assignments and other course materials there. If you click on the Settings link at the top right, you can set up Canvas to notify your e-mail or your cell phone about recent activity. I strongly recommend that you set Canvas to send you notifications of announcements ASAP. 

For further assistance with Canvas, click on the Help link at the top right, where “Search the Canvas Guides” is probably the most useful option. You should look for the relatively short Canvas Student Quickstart Guide (http://guides.instructure.com/m/8470), the more thorough Canvas Student Guide (http://guides.instructure.com/m/4212), and – for visually oriented people – the Canvas Video Guide (http://guides.instructure.com/m/4210). Alternatively, contact the Help Desk of Instructional Technology at x4357 or helpdesk@hws.edu. The Help Desk is located in the Library on the first floor in the Rosensweig Learning Commons and is staffed by students as follows:

• until 1 a.m. Mondays through Thursdays
• until 11 p.m. on Fridays
• until 11 p.m. on Saturdays
• until 1 a.m. on Sundays