This class is designed to acquaint students with the basic research tools necessary for advanced work in Asian art history, introducing students to the range of online and print reference materials on Asian art and culture. There are two main aspects to the introduction, both focused on visual arts: research and reading. The class would be a collaborative effort, and students would be called upon to pursue weekly research projects such as compiling up-to-date bibliographies, creating lists of images and texts on a certain topic, and assessing web and print resources. These projects will also be used to raise key social and historiographical questions about the discipline of Asian art history. Some part of the class would involve reading and interpreting selected passages in pre-modern primary texts of Asian art history (e.g. Guhua pinlu, Tuhui baojian, Honchô gashi, Kammon nikki, etc.). Depending on student interest, the course may also consider issues specific to field work in archives, museums, and religious sites. The final research paper draws upon the skills inculcated in the course of the class to illuminate a specific aspect of Asian art history that is particularly relevant to the student’s dissertation topic.
