ASIAN HUMANITIES
Welcome to the Asian Humanities page! This website was designed as a
resource guide for students in the Asian Humanities classes (HUM 2410)
at Hillsborough Community College
in Tampa, Florida. This class was first offered in the fall semester
of 1996, and is currently being taught (by me) at the Dale Mabry campus this
fall of 1997. But you don't have
to be a student to appreciate what this site offers! This site
is an excellent source for anyone who wants to know more about the
arts of Asia.
Humanities refers specifically to a variety of art forms - painting,
sculpture, literature, performing arts, music, philosophy, religion,
history.... anything that defines a "culture".
While in this class I emphasize the arts of India, China, and Japan,
I have provided many references and links to sources on these countries plus
Tibet, Korea, and Southeast Asia to give you a well-rounded knowledge
of Asia.
So enjoy your odyssey to the East - without leaving your computer!
Table of Contents
- Course Description
- Multimedia Presentations (Please note that these are temporary links!!)
- Handouts on Asian Cultural History
- Links to Additional Asian Resources
- Bibliography
for Additional Reading
- Multimedia Items
- Some Final Words....
Course Description
Asian Humanities (HUM 2410) Course Description:
"An historical survey of the humanities in India, China, Japan:
the visual arts, music, dance, theater, religion, and philosophy from
the prehistoric era to modern times. Emphasis will be on the cultural
values revealed in works of art and literature. College level reading
and writing skills are required. A Gordon Rule course: 1,715 words of
writing required."--taken from the 1996-1997 Hillsborough Community College
Catalog.
Instructor: Mr. Roberto C. Ferrari
Email: RobertoCF@aol.com
- Required Readings:
- Indian Art by Roy C. Craven
- Chinese Art by Mary Tregear
- A Treasury of Asian Literature edited by John D. Yohannan
- Farewell My Concubine by Lilian Lee
- Topics for Discussion:
India
- The Dravidians and the
Aryans, Vedism, the Ramayana, Jainism, Buddhism, Indian
Buddhist Art, Hinduism, Hindu Art, Indian Dance, the Gita
Govinda, the Kama Sutra, Islamic India, Miniature
Rajput and Mughal Painting, the Taj Mahal, British India, Mahatma Gandhi
- Nepal and Tibet
- Tantric Buddhist Religion and Arts
- China
- Confucianism, Ch'an Buddhism, Early
Chinese Art, Taoism, the Tao Te Ching, Tai Chi, Chinese Poetry,
Landscape Painting, Beijing/Peking Opera, Farewell My
Concubine, Modern China, Mao Zedong
- Korea and Southeast Asia
- The Arts and Religion of Cambodia,
Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Burma/Myanmar, et al.
- Japan
- Shinto, Zen Buddhism, Japanese Art, Ukiyo-e,
Japanese Poetry, The Tale of Genji, No, Kabuki, and Bunraku
Dramas
Return to the Table of Contents.
Bibliography for Additional Reading
- Joan Stanley Baker, Japanese Art
- New York: Thames and Hudson, 1992
- T. Richard Blurton, Hindu Art
- Cambridge: Harvard UP, 1993
- Michael Brand, ed., Traditions of Asian Art
- Canberra: National Gallery of Australia, 1995.
- Mario Bussagli, Art of India
- New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc. [no date]
- Daniel Cozort, The Sand Mandala of Vajrabhairava
- Ithaca, NY: Snow Lion Publications, 1995
- Jan Fontaine and Pratapaditya Pal, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston:
Oriental Art
- Greenwich, CT: New York Graphic Society, 1969
- Max-Pol Fouchet, L’art amoureux des Indes
- Lausanne, France: Reliure de Mayer & Soutter, 1957?
- Anthony Guise, ed., The Potala of Tibet
- London: Stacey International, 1988
- Judith Mara Gutman, Through Indian Eyes: 19th and 20th Century
Photography from India
- New York: Oxford UP, 1982
- John D. La Plante, Asian Art
- Dubuque, IA: William C. Brown, 1992 (3rd ed.)
- Anwar Lal, Immortal Khajuraho
- Delhi, India: Asia Press, 1965
- Liu Lizhong, Buddhist Art of the Tibetan Plateau
- Hong Kong: Joint Publishing Co., Ltd., 1988
- Torao Miyagawa, ed., Chinese Painting
- New York: Weatherhill, 1983
- Miyeko Murase, Tales of Japan
- New York: Oxford University Press, 1986
- Blanche Christine Olschak, Mystic Art of Ancient Tibet
- New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1973
- Pratapaditya Pal, The Sensuous Immortals: A Selection of Sculptures
from the Pan-Asian Collection
- Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1978
- M. S. Randhawa, Kangra Paintings of the Gita Govinda
- New Delhi, India: National Museum, 1963
- Philip Rawson, The Art of Southeast Asia
- New York: Thames and Hudson, 1995
- Lillian Too, The Complete Illustrated Guide to Feng Shui
- New York: Banres and Noble, Inc., 1996
- Mary Tregear and Shelagh Vainker, Art Treasures in China
- New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1994
- Vatsyayana, The Kama Sutra (translated by Sir Richard Burton)
- New York: Barnes and Noble, Inc., 1995
- Wan-go Weng, The Palace Museum: Peking
- New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1982
Return to the Table of Contents.
Multimedia Items
Gandhi (VHS-b/w - 1990 - 40 min.) (***Not the 1983 film)
Great Tales in Asian Art (VHS - 1995 - 82 min.)
The JVC Video Anthology of World Music and Dance
(VHS - 1990 - 30 videos + guide)
The Multimedia I Ching (CD-ROM - 1996 - Princeton UP)
Shakuhachi - The Japanese Flute (CD - 1977 - 33:17 min.)
The Taj Mahal: The Story of Muslim India (VHS - 1991 - 24 min.
Tibetan Buddhism: Tantras of Gyuto (CD - 1975 - 59:49 min.)
Tragedy at Tiananmen: The Untold Story (VHS - 1989 - 48 min.)
Return to the Table of Contents.
Some Final Words....
Feel free to share your comments and suggestions with me, especially if you've
enjoyed "surfing" to Asia from your computer! You can email me at
RobertoCF@aol.com. I'd love to
know especially if this website has helped you at all. If you know of other
URLs to add to those listed here, please tell me. I cannot guarantee I'll
put them all on the list, but if it will help as a resource, I'll certainly
try.
This website was last updated on December 10, 1997.
Return to the Table of Contents.
