ARTH 261 Buddhist Art in South and East Asia

A survey of Buddhist art as it originated in India and spread across Central Asia to China Japan and Tibet. We will devote special emphasis to the ways Buddhism and Buddhist art both changed and were changed by the various cultural traditions they encountered. We will also examine the history of "Western" encounters with Buddhism and how these have shaped - or biased - our understanding of Buddhist art and culture. Not open to students who have taken ARTH 160.