Office: 309 Garland Hall
Telephone: (205) 348-1428
Fax: (205) 348-9642

cpagani@bama.ua.edu

Mondays 1:00-3:15 pm
203 Garland Hall

The Tang Dynasty (618-906) has been called China's Cosmopolitan Age and is one of the most glorious periods in the history of Chinese art. Tang China was one of the world's richest and most powerful nations: her territories spread westward as far as Central Asia and her capital city of Chang'an, with a population of two million, rivalled Byzantium. It was a period known for its achievements in the areas of poetry and literature, painting and ceramics, and for the rise of Buddhism.

Tang art is a reflection of the period and this seminar course will examine the artistic products within their historic and cultural context. Topics will include an examination of the arts of Buddhism including the cave temples at Dunhuang, foreign influence on Tang culture, the development of ceramic technology, and the establishment of landscape as a separate genre in painting.

Students will be required to present a seminar, and produce a research paper of moderate length. Participation in class discussions will also be used to determine the student's final grade. Reserved readings will be made available in the library.

 Seminar guidelines

 Guidelines for essay writing

 Web resources