Prospectus

nl en

Arts and Material Culture of Japan

Course
2024-2025

Admission requirements

There are no specific entry requirements for this course. Non-major Japanstudies students will also be admitted so long as there is seating available.

Description

This course explores Japanese art from the sixth century CE through the twenty-first century. The first half of the course focuses on early to medieval Japan, and the second part covers early modern to contemporary Japan. Throughout the course, the focus is on selected case studies of art objects: Buddhist architecture and sculpture, paintings produced for the court and military rulers, popular prints, modern painting and contemporary art. The course introduces methods for describing and analysing objects within their cultural and social contexts. We will explore what the stylistic, material and other features of objects can tell us about their functions at the time when they were made. We will develop an insight into the role of art in supporting and also in contesting the power of political and cultural elites.

Course objectives

Students train their visual memory and skills in identifying and describing objects.
Students learn to interpret the meanings of objects by situating them into their contemporary cultural and historical contexts.
Students develop an understanding of the historical development of Japanese art in four broad historical sections: early and aristocratic Japan, medieval Japan, early modern Japan, modern and contemporary Japan.

Timetable

The timetables are available through My Timetable.

Mode of instruction

Lecture

Assessment method

Assessment

Written examination with closed questions (eg multiple choice) and an essay question

Weighing

Mid-term Exam (50%)
Final Exam (50%)

Weighing

The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average. To pass the course, the weighted average of the partial grades must be 5.5 or higher.

Resit

Combined Resit: The resit examination covers the entire course material. The grade of the resit will replace all previously earned grades.

Inspection and feedback

How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.

Reading list

TBC

Registration

Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website.

Registration À la carte education, Contract teaching and Exchange

Information for those interested in taking this course in context of À la carte education (without taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.

Information for those interested in taking this course in context of Contract teaching (with taking examinations), eg. about costs, registration and conditions.
For the registration of exchange students contact Humanities International Office.

Contact

  • For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the right information bar.

  • For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office Herta Mohr

Remarks