Admission requirements
BA degree (or equivalent) in Archaeology or a relevant discipline.
SAP and exchange students: admission after approval by the Graduate School of Archaeology.
Description
This course deals with famous collections of Asian material culture in the Netherlands, and the way these were constituted. The course includes visits to various museums or special exhibitions, for example the National Museum for Ethnology and the Siebold House in Leiden, the Tropical Museum in Amsterdam. We will also visit the stored collections from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and Gemeentemuseum in The Hague (which are currently not open to the general public), as well as interesting temporary exhibitions. In addition to assessing the nature of the collections, such as the acquisition history of the objects and the way in which collections are currently presented to the public, students are required to compose their own “virtual exhibition” in a PowerPoint presentation, explaining the reasons behind their choices and way of presentation.
Learning objectives
Knowledge of and insight in Asian material culture, as it is presented in Dutch collections
Knowledge of and insight in the origin and history of these collections
Insight in the nature of current exhibitions and ability to place this in a wider context
Insight in the presentation of an exhibition
Ability to critically assess the selections made by the museum with respect to the insights mentioned above
Ability to formulate an well-argumented opinion on these insights
Ability to choose an original theme for a (fictitious) exhibition
Ability to give a motivation for your virtual exhibition
Ability to present a “guided tour” through your virtual exhibition in a 10-minute powerpoint presentation
Method of instruction
Seminar and visits to collections.
Examination
Virtual exhibition- assignment: presentation plus handout
Written report with evaluation about the museums visited
Required reading
Various articles and museum catalogues