HHIS-298: Material Design in China

This course introduces a selection of artworks and artifacts from the Chinese Neolithic through the present times. It is not meant to be a comprehensive survey of Chinese art. Rather, we approach the broad topic of art from China from the perspective of construction in two senses: material culture and material technology (design). Historical case studies may include: jade, bronze, lacquer, silk, sculpture, ceramics, painting and calligraphy, and architecture. Core inquires we will discuss through reading, presentation, and discussion are: How are material objects interpreted? By connecting the history of object-making to their social, political, and cultural contexts, how do we understand plural approaches to design and materials, including those beyond the canon, across time and in the present? This section of the course focuses on the later imperial period (ca.1000 and onward).