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EALC145g: Introduction to Chinese Culture, Art and Literature (4 units)
MWF 11—11.50 a.m. THH 101
Instructor: Professor Dominic Cheung
Office hrs: M.W.1.00-2.00 pm THH356T and by appointments
Dept. of East Asian Languages and Cultures
Teaching Assistants:
1. Jingyu Xue,
2. Gladys Mac
Information on TAs’ office locations and walk-in office hours will be announced and posted.
Course description:
This course provides a historical introduction to the culture, art and literature of pre-modern China through the lens of the cultural products of identity. We examine the artistic and cultural developments from the beginning of the proto-historical Bronze Age onto the Empires of Qin and Han, the Imperial States of Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing in an attempt to see how cultural identities are simultaneously created and expressed through varied artistic mediums (bronze, sculpture, porcelain, paintings…etc) and literary genres of these periods. Coupling with the study of visual, cultural, and literary texts under the three major topics of 1/ The Discovery of the Self, 2/ Illusion of the Self in relations to Nature and Religion, 3/ Towards the Harmony of Self and Nature, especial attentions will be paid to the quest of the self and human harmony with the universe and the other, the function of art and literature in religious, philosophical, social and aesthetic discourse, conception of nature in art, literature, and in visual and material cultures.
Required texts:
Chang, K.C. Art, Myth, and Ritual: The Path to Political Authority in Ancient China, (abbreviated as AMR) Cambridge: Harvard University, 1983.
Robert Thorp & Richard Vinograd, Chinese Art and Culture, (abbreviated as CAC) New York: Abrams, 1999.
Course Reader (CR), available at “Magic Machine” University Graphics (University Village, 3309 S. Hoover).
Requirements:
10% Class participation, attendance, quizzes and reading assignments
30 % Midterm examination (multiple choices, fill-in blanks and short answers)
15 % First short term-paper (5-7 pages)
15 % Second short term-paper (7-10 pages)
30 % Final examination (multiple choices, short answers, and a short essay question)
Explanations: Two short term-papers (2 x 15% towards the total grade), typed, double-spaced ; a midterm examination and a final examination, each counted for 30% towards the final grade with an additional 10% for classroom participation (quiz and regular attendance, students are expected to attend all classes, evidence of studying assigned readings, and class discussions.) Paper topics can be selected through consultation with the instructor or in reference to the topic suggestions. Late submission of papers will be penalized by a deduction of one percentage point per day of lateness from the grade of the paper. There is no makeup examination except for students who submit an authentic medical proof. Likewise, those who fail to attend one-third of the semester class sessions will receive a failing grade.
PLEASE NOTE; Failure to attend discussion section will be taken very seriously. One unexcused absence will be tolerated, but further unexcused absences will affect the “class participation” portion of the student’s grade (not the overall grade) as follows:
2 absences: 1 letter grade deduction
3 absences: 2 letter grades deduction
5 or more: automatic “F”
Accommodation for Students with Disabilities:
Students who need to request accommodations based on a disability are required to register each semester with the Disability Services and Programs office (Student Union, Room 301). In addition, a letter of verification to the course instructor, from the Disability Services and Programs office is needed for the semester in which you are enrolled for this course. If you have questions concerning this procedure, please contact both the instructor of the course, and the Disability Services and Programs office at 213-740-0776.
Syllabus
Week 1: January 11, 13, 15
Introduction
Maps and Chronology
Reading: CAC (Chinese Art and Culture, 12-13 Map, 17-20 geographical setting, 23-25 chronology).
See also handouts for simplified chronology and provincial map.
Part I: The Beginning of Chinese Civilization and the Discovery of the Self
Week 2 January 18 (MLK’s birthday, no class), 20, 22
The Early Bronze Age: The “Three Dynasties”
Reading: AMR (Art, Myth and Ritual), chapter 1 “Clans, Towns, and the Political Landscape”, 9-32.
Week 3 January 25, 27, 29
Quiz on map and chronology
The Early Bronze Age (continued)
Reading: AMR, chapter 2 “Moral Authority and Coercive Power”, 33-43.
Reading. CAC, chapter 2 “The Early Bronze Age: Shang and Western Zhou” 55-81；”Beyond Shang and Zhou” 81-87.
Week 4 February, 1,3,5
The Late Bronze Age and Political Authority (Bronze Age Power-point)
Reading: CAC, chapter 3, “The Late Bronze Age: Eastern Zhou”---State and society, the rise of feudalism and the “elites”, 89-91.
Reading: AMR, chapter 6 “Access to the Path” 95-106.
Week 5: February 8,10, 12
Style and Meaning: The Warring States and the Late Bronze Age Industry--- the tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng and the ritual vessels
Reading: AMR, chapter 7 “The Rise of Political Authority” 107-129.
Reading: CAC “The Spring and Autumn Period” 96, 102-106; “The Warring States Period” 108-110.
Week 6 February15 (President’s Day, no class,) 17, 19
Mid-term examination (Friday, February 19)
The First Unification and the Great Wall
Reading: CAC 119-121
[Course Reader]: Ancient Tales, “The Serpent Sacrifice”, “The Sword Maker” 24-27, “Prince Tan of Yen”30-41, “The Biography of Bo Yi and Shu Qi”142-145, From “Biographies of the Assassins”: “Yu Jang” 18-20；Nie Zheng” 152-154.
Week 7 February 22,24, 26
Terra-cotta Warriors and the Lishan Underground Tomb
DVD The First Emperor—China’s Terracotta Army (The British Museum Press, 2007)
Reading. CAC 136-142.
[Course Reader]: Terra cotta and “A Magic Army for the Emperor”, Lothar Ledderose, Ten Thousand Things: Module and Mass Production in Chinese Art, 68-73.
Film Hero, (2004)
Han Empire, Society and Elite Life, Mawangdui
Reading. CAC “The Souls and the After Life”144-147
Part II: The Illusion of the Self (momento mori, carpe diem)
Week 8: (1st term-paper due, March 5th) March 1,3,5
Eastern Han, Wei-Jin Dynasties
Buddhism in China 1: South and North Dynasties, Yungang, Longmen, and Dunhuang cave chapels (Power-point)
Reading: [Course Reader]: “The Introduction of Buddhism”, Wm. de Bary, Sources of Chinese Tradition, 415-420
CAC 151-152; 163-171
Week 9 March 8,10, 12
Tang-Song Buddhism and Daoism in Chinese Art and Literature
Reading: CAC “State Patronage of the Dharma in Sui-Tang” 195-197.
“Buddhist Artistic Culture in Song”—Guanyin and Luohan, 268-272.
[Course Reader]: Chuang Tzu “ The Secret of Caring for Life” 46-49；“Governor of the Southern Tributary State”56-69, “The Spendthrift and the Alchemist”136-143.
Buddhism in China 2: Longmen Caves (Fengxian Temple only, Power-point), Mogao Caves (Cave 45 only, Power-point) in Dunhuang
Reading. CAC 201-205
Spring Break March 15-20
Week 10 March 22, 24, 26
Part III: Towards Harmony of the Self and Nature
Reflections of the Mundane Self and Nature in Chinese Painting：(Tang and Late Tang) Power-pointfg
Reading. CAC “Elite Life and Elite Art” 209-212； “Secular Themes in Painting” 218-221；”Constructing Landscapes” (Dong Yuan and Zhao Gan) 242-245.
[Course Reader]: “Ren the Fox Fairy” 13-25, “Story of a Singsong Girl”, “Wushuang the Peerless” from Tang Romances, 70-96.
Week 12 (2nd term-paper due April 2) March 29, 31, April 2
Landscape and Court Culture in Chinese Painting (Song) Power-point
Reading. CAC 245-253 ( Fan Kuan, Guo Xi)；260-261(Ma Yuan)；”Varieties of Poetic Painting” 265-268.
Reflections of Self and Nature in Chinese Painting：(Yuan and Ming) Power-point
Reading. CAC 302-315, Yuan-Ming Literati Painting.
Reflections of Self and Nature in Chinese Painting：(Late Ming and Qing) Power-point
“Orthodox Versus the Unorthodox Schools”. CAC: 322-333 (only major painters—Dong Qichang, Wang Yuanqi, Chen Hongshou, Bada Shanren, Shitao).
Week 13 April 5, 7, 9
A Thing of Beauty I: Ceramics and Porcelain (Song, Yuan, Ming) Power-point
Material Things: Arts of pre-Tang and Tang---Ceramics and porcelains, Yue wares (Celadon wares, Introduction to Chinese Porcelain Power-points)
Reading: CAC 172-174, 214.
CAC 233-239; 297-301.
[Course Reader]:
“The Rise of Tea Drinking in China”, from John Kieschnick, The Impact of Buddhism on Chinese Material Culture, Princeton University Press, 2003, 262-275.
Excerpts from Dream of the Red Chamber, chapter 41 “Jia Bao-yu tastes some superior tea at Green Bower Hermitage….” 304-316.
Week 14 April 12,13,14
Commercial and Domestic Arts in Qing: International Arts
Reading.CAC 356-365 “Export Ceramics”, “Other Export Crafts”, “European Arts and Artists at Qing Court”, ‘European Images of China”.
[Course Reader]: Lothar Ledderose “Export Porcelain”—The Geldermalsen. 88-97.
Week 15 April 19, 21, 23
A Thing of Beauty II: Ming-Qing Gardens
Reading. CAC 282-285.
Week 16 April 26, 28, 30
Review week
FINAL EXAM：Wednesday May 5th, 11:00-1 p.m. in the lecture classroom.
The University has a strict policy against deviating from this exam scheduling (for details see http://www.usc.edu/academics/classes/term_20063/finals.html).
EALC145: Paper topic suggestions
1. From “Imagined Communities” to “Real Kingdoms”---The formation and development of the clans and community in the Bronze Age. Trace and discuss.
2. Discuss the importance of lineage formation of the Three Dynasties in the Bronze Age.
3. Discuss the First Emperor of Qin and his Empire. Comment on Zhang Yimou’s film “Hero”.
4. Discuss the characteristics of “assassins” in the tales and biographies of “Yu Jang”, “Princes Tan of Yen”, and “Nie Zheng”. Compare and contrast.
5. Discuss Buddhism and Buddhist characteristics in the cave chapels of Yungang, Longmen, and Dunhuang?
6. Discuss “life as a dream” in the tales of “Governor of the Southern Tributary State”, “The Spendthrift and the Alchemist”.
7. Discuss the theme of “love” in Tang romances---“Ren the Fox Fairy”, “Story of a Singsong Girl” and “Wushuang the Peerless”.
8. Trace the development of “portraiture” paintings in Late Tang and the discovery of nature in Song paintings. Compare and contrast.
9. Discuss the characteristics of “literati” paintings in Yuan and Ming. How does the “re-discovery of the self” reflect in contrast to the “concealed self ” in Song landscape paintings?
10. Discuss the development of the ceramics and porcelain from Tang to Ming Dynasty.
11. Discuss tea drinking and tea utensils in excerpts from the Dream of the Red Chamber [from Course Reader].
12. Trace the significance and development of “export porcelain” from China to the West. Discuss the application of Ledderose’s “module system” to these porcelains such as the “Nanking Cargo”.
References (on reserve):
Benn, Charles. China’s Golden Age: Everyday Life in the Tang Dynasty, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Cahill, James. Chinese Painting. Rizzoli, 1977.
Clunas, Craig. Fruitful Sites: Garden Culture in Ming Dynasty China, Reaktion Books, 1996.
------. Art in China, Oxford U. Press, 1997.
------. Superfluous Things, Material Culture and Social Status in Early Modern China, U. of Hawaii Press, 1991.
Ebrey, Patricia., ed. Chinese Civilization, The Free Press, 1993.
------, The Cambridge Illustrated History of China, Cambridge U. Press, 1996.
Frazer, Sarah. Performing the Visual, The Practice of Buddhist Wall Painting in China and Central Asia, 618-960, Stanford U. Press, 2004.
John Kieschnick, The Impact of Buddhism on Chinese Material Culture, Princeton University Press, 2003.
Ledderose, Lothar. Ten Thousand Things: Module and Mass Production in Chinese Art, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000.
Murck, Alfreda. The Subtle Art of Dissent: Poetry and Painting in Song China, Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2000.
Schafer, Edward H. The Golden Peaches of Samarkand: A Study of Tang Exotics,
Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985.
Sullivan, Michael. The Arts of China, UC Press, 1999.
Wang, Eugene. Shaping the Lotus Sutra: Buddhist Visual Culture in Medieval China, U. of Washington Press, 2005.
Yang, Barnhart, Nie, Cahill, Lang, Wu. Three Thousand Years of Chinese Painting, Yale U. Press, 1997.