Asian Art and Archaeology

 

Art History Research Guide
Bibliographies
Biographical Sources
Boston University Programs
Directories
Electronic Indexes to Periodical Articles
Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
History
Internet Links
Surveys
Symbols

Nassunogahara Harmony Hall, 1994, Otawara, Tochigi, Japan
Click on image for source.

Surveys

Art and Architecture of Japan, by Robert Treat Paine, 1981.  Mugar Library N7350 .P3 1981.

Arts of China to AD 900, by William Watson, 1995. Mugar Reference X N 7343 W38 1995.

Arts of China 900-1620, by William Watson, 2000.  Mugar Reference X N 7343 W382 2000.

Heibonsha Survey of Japanese Art, 30 vols and index, 1971-1980.  In English. (Translation of: Nihon no bijutsu.) Comprehensive survey of all aspects of Japanese art. Contents by volume: l. Major themes in Japanese art;  2. Beginnings of Japanese art;  3. Shinto art: Ise and Izumo shrines;  4. Asuka Buddhist art;  5. Nara Buddhist art;  6.  Silk road and the Shoso-in;  7. Temples of Nara and their art;  8. Art in Japanese esoteric Buddhism;  9.  Heian temples: Byodo-in and Chuson-ji;  10.  Painting in the Yamato style;  11.  Sculpture of the Kamakura period;  12.  Japanese ink painting;  13.  Feudal architecture of Japan;  14. Momoyama decorative painting;  15.  Japanese art and the tea ceremony;  16.  Japanese costume and textile arts; 17. Momoyama genre painting;  18. Edo painting: Sotatsu and Korin;  19.  Namban art of Japan;  20. Edo architecture: Katsura and Nikko; 21. Traditional domestic architecture of Japan; 22. Traditional woodblocks prints of Japan;   23.  Japanese painting in the literati style;  24.  Modern currents in Japanese art;  25. Japanese art in the world perspective;  26.  Folk arts and crafts of Japan;  27. Art of Japanese calligraphy;  28. Garden art of Japan;  29.   Art of Japanese ceramics;  30.  Japanese art: a cultural appreciation. 

The library does not own volumes 8 and 29. Each volume has its own call number: check the catalog under volume title or series title, Heibonsha Survey of Japanese Art.  Vol. 31 is the comprehensive index to the set with references to artists, personalities, subjects, places, and illustrations; it is in the reference collection (Mugar Reference X N 7350 B45 1980).

Nihon Bijutsu Zenshu (Complete Works of Japanese Fine Arts), ed. Maekawa Seiro, 25 vols and index, 1990-1994.  In Japanese with English-language bibliographies and illustration captions.  Illustrations include many color plates. Contents by volume:  1.  Pottery, to 794;  2.  Architecture, Nara temples, to 794;  3.  Shoso-in (Nara), to 794;  4.  Architecture, Nara temples, to 794;   5.   Esoteric Buddhist temples and sculptures;  6.  Heian period, 794-1185, and Kamakura-Momoyama periods, 1185-1600;  7.  Mandara and a painting of the Rebirth in Western Paradise;  8.  Paintings and crafts, Heian period, 794-1185;  9.  Paintings: legendary founding of temples, shrines and likeness pictures, Kamakura-Momoyama periods, 1185-1600;  10.  Unkei, d. 1223? and Kaikei, fl. 1185-1600, Kamakura-Momoyama periods, 1185-1600;   11.  Zen temples and gardens, Kamakura-Momoyama periods, 1185-1600;   12.  Scrolls and ink paintings, Kamakura-Momoyama periods, 1185-1600; 13.  Screen paintings of Yamato-e and Sesshu, Kamakura-Momoyama periods, 1185-1600;  14.  Tearooms and castles, Kamakura-Momoyama periods, 1185-1600;   15. Kano School, Kamakura-Momoyama periods, 1185-1600;   16. Katsura Rikyu Detached Palace and Toshogu, Edo period, 1600-1868;  17. Screen painting, Edo period, 1600-1868;   18.  Sotatsu and Korin, Edo period, 1600-1868;   19.  Ike Taiga and Maruyama Okyo, Edo period, 1600-1868;  20.  Decorative arts, Edo period, 1600-1868;   21.  Modern Japanese Art from Edo (1600-1868) to Meiji (1868-1912) periods;   22.  Modern Japanese paintings, 20th century;   23.  Tradition and modernism in Japanese art, 1868--;  24.  European and American influences on Japanese modern art, 1868--;  25.  Supplement;   26.  Index (in Japanese). Mugar Reference X N 7350 N54 1990.

Nihon no kenchiku Meiji Taisho Showa = West meets East: The Japanese Introduction to Western Architecture in 19th and 20th Centuries, ed. Muramatsu Teijiro, 10 vols, 1979-1982. In Japanese. Excellence source of building photographs and architectural drawings.  Contents by volume (with English translations):  l.  Koshino, Takeshi. Kaika no katachi (The Form of Civilization); 2.  Onogi, Shigekatsu. Yoshiki no ishizue (The Foundations of Style); 3.  Fujimori, Terunobu. Kokka no dezain (Designs for the Nation); 4. Hasegawa, Takashi. Gijido e no keifu (Towards the Architecture of the Diet Building); 5.  Sakamoto, Katsuhiko. Shoto no dezain (Designs for the Financial Building); 6. Yanaguchi, Hiroshi. Toshi no seika (The Essence of the City); 7. Ishida, Junichiro. Burujowaji no soshoku (Bourgeois Decor); 8.  Ito, Michio. Yoshikibi no banka (The Decline of Style); 9.  Tanigawa, Masami. Raito no isan (Wright's Legacy); 10.  Omi, Sakae, and Hori Takeyoshi. Nihon no modanizumu (Japan's Modernism). Mugar Reserve NA1554.5 .N54 1979.

Bibliographies

Ancient Arts of Western and Central Asia: A Guide to the Literature,
by Bernard Goldman. Subject index to the main bibliography includes topics such as Anatolia, historiography, source documents, Sumer, etc. Mugar Reference X Z 5961 M58 G65 1991.

Ancient Japan: Bibliography of Sources, by Richard Hooker, last updated 1999.  Primary and secondary sources limited to books and journal articles in print only.

Archaeology of the Indian Subcontinent and Sri Lanka: A Selected Bibliography,
by Robert Ridinger. Arranged by contemporary political units under India, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. An appendix contains South Asian Archaeological Law and Legislation. Mugar Reference X Z 3208 A8 R53 2001.

Basic Readings in English on the Archaeology of Asia, compiled by Robert E. Murowchick, May 2002.

Bibliography of the Publications of Kwang-Chih Chang , 1948-2001, compiled by Robert E. Murowchick, Lothar von Falkenhausen, and Chen Xingcan.  List of entries merged from bibliographies published in the  Journal of East Asian Archaeology 1, nos. 1-4 (1999) 1-42; 3, nos. 1-2 (2001) 349-371.

Bibliotheca Sinica. Dictionnaire bibliographique des ouvrages relatifs a l'Empire chinois, by Henri Cordier, 6 vols. in 5, originally published 1904-1924. "Ethnographie et Anthropologie," pp. 3346-3363, "Beaux-arts," pp. 3870-3898, "Les Etrangers en Chine" (beginning in antiquity), pp. 3997-4054. Mugar Reference X Z 3101 F04.

China in Western Literature: A Continuation of Cordier's Bibliotheca Sinica, compiled by Tung-Li Yuan, 1958. Chapter XVII. "Archaeology and Fine Arts," pp. 469-516.  Mugar Reference X Z 3101 F58.

Chinese Art and Architecture: An Annotated List of Recent Works in Western Languages, prepared by the Library of the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, 2000.

Collector's Guide to Books on Japan in English. An Annotated List with over 2,500 Titles with Subject Index, by Joseph Rogala. Alphabetical by author with subject index. Mugar Reference X Z3301 .R58 2001.

Harvard Outline and Reading Lists for Oriental Art, by Benjamin Rowland, Jr., 1967.  Books and articles classified by country or region, then period, then architecture, sculpture, and painting. Mugar N 7260 F67.

Index to Chinese Archaeological Works Published in the People's Republic of China, 1949-1965 , by C. M. Chen and Richard B. Stamps. Classified bibliography of books and articles with titles translated into English.  ICEAACH Library Z 3106 C46.

Index Sinicus: A Catalogue of Articles relating to China in Periodicals and Other Collective Publications, 1920-1955 , compiled by John Lust, 1964. Note: "supplementing H. Cordier's Bibliotheca Sinica & T.L. Yuan's China in Western Literature."  Chapter XVI: "Archaeology and Fine Arts," pp. 359-436.  Mugar Reference X Z 3101 F64.

Japanese Studies, by Kristina Kade Troost, Librarian for Japan and Korea, Perkins Library, Duke University. Research guide of bibliographies, dictionaries and encyclopedias, biographies, handbooks, directories and museum guides, yearbooks, surveys and compendia, journals, WWW sites, art museums and associations. Updated 2003.

A Reader's Guide to the Arts of Japan, by Sylvan Barnet, Asia Society.  Annotated selective bibliography of English-language publications on Japanese art. Contents arranged by medium and period.

Roberts' guide to Japanese museums of art and archaeology, by Laurance Roberts. Mugar Reference X N3735 .R62 1987.

T. L. Yuan Bibliography of Western Writings on Chinese Art and Archaeology, ed. Harrie A. Vanderstappen.  Lists 2,278 books and 8,954 articles published between 1920 and 1965. Index. Mugar Z 5961 C5 Y9 1975.


Biographical Sources

Biographical Dictionary of Japanese Art, ed. Yutaka Tazawa, 1981.  Mugar Reference X N 7350 B448.

Dictionary of Japanese Artists: Painting, Sculpture, Ceramics, Prints, Lacquer, by Laurance P. Roberts, 1976 (paperback, 1990).  Mugar Reference X N 7358 R6 1990.

Dictionary of Ming Biography 1368-1644, 2 vols., by L. Carrington Goodrich and Chaoying Fang, 1976.  Mugar Reference X DS 753.5 A84 1976.

Index of Early Chinese Painters and Paintings: T'ang, Sung, and Yuan, by James Cahill, 1980.  Includes locations of paintings [as of 1980].  Mugar Reference X ND 1043.3 C3.

Index-Dictionary of Chinese Artists, Collectors, and Connoisseurs, by Namcy N. Seymour, 1988.  Mugar Reference X N 7348 S48 1988.

Modern Chinese Artists: A Biographical Dictionary, by Michael Sullivan, 2006.  Brief entries for 1,800 20th and 21st century Chinses artists.  Mugar Reference XN 7348 .S85 2006

Boston University Programs

Archaeology Department.   Click on courses for Asian listings.

Art History Department.   Click on courses for Asian art listings. Cumulus Image Database. Art History Department, Boston University.  BU

ICEAACH.   International Center for East Asian Archaeology and Cultural History. Research Library, Boston University. "The Center's library of reference materials on East Asian archaeology and cultural history includes over 6,000 books and journals, 12,000 photos and slides, and hundreds of maps. Forming the core of this collection is the extensive personal research library of the eminent archaeologist and scholar of ancient China, Prof. Kwang-chih Chang."

Electronic Indexes (Databases) to Journal Articles and Books

ABIA South and Southeast Asian Art and Archaeology Index, 1996--.
International Institute for Asian Studies. Covers archaeology (pre- and proto-history), historical archaeology, ancient art history, modern art history, material culture, epigraphy and palaeography, numismatics and sigillography. Indexes monographs, articles in monographs, articles in periodicals, and unpublished PhD theses. Geographical areas include South Asia and Southeast Asia, and regions culturally related to these areas, for example: Afghanistan, Uzbekistan,Tajikistan and Tibet as related to South Asia; South China and the Pacific as related to Southeast Asia. To search the index, click on : "Where can you find the ABIA Index ?" Also available in print: Vol. I covering 1996 and 1997 (published in 1999) and Vol. II covering selections from the ABIA Index online through 2001 (published in 2002) at Mugar Reference X N 7260 A25.

Anthropological Literature, late 19th century--.  Indexes articles and essays on anthropology and archaeology, including art history, demography, economics, psychology, and religious studies. Tozzer Library, Harvard University.

Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts (Abstracts of International Conservation Literature), 1932--. "AATA Online provides all 36 volumes of Art and Archaeology Technical Abstracts and its predecessor, IIC Abstracts , published between 1955 and the present...[and] the 20 AATA special supplements and almost 2,000 abstracts published between 1932 and 1955 by the Fogg Art Museum and the Freer Gallery of Art..." Register for full service. Available in print at Mugar N 1 T42 (1932/33-41/42), Mugar Reference X N 7428 F55 (1943-52), Mugar Reference X AM 141 A1 F55 (1955-1987).

Art Index and Art Index Retrospective, 1929--. BU
Periodical coverage includes English-language periodicals, yearbooks, and museum bulletins, as well as periodicals  published in French, Italian, German, Japanese, Spanish, Dutch, and Swedish. In addition to articles, Art Index indexes reproductions of works of art that appear in indexed periodicals. Subjects covered include archaeology, architecture, art history, city planning, crafts, motion pictures, graphic arts, industrial design, interior design, landscape architecture, museology, and photography. Also available in print at Mugar Reference X Z 5937 F29.

Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals, 1930's--. BU
Indexes more than 1,000 international periodicals relating to architecture, archaeology, city planning, interior design, and historic preservation. Coverage from the 1930's (with selective coverage dating back to the 1860's) to the present.

Bibliography of Asian Studies, 1971--. BU
Includes all subjects (especially humanities and social sciences) pertaining to East, Southeast, and South Asia published worldwide. Users can search and also browse by country/region, by subject, or by journal title. The print versions, Cumulative Bibliography of Asian Studies, 1941-1965, Supplement, 1966-1970, and Bibliography of Asian Studies, 1971-1991, are available at Mugar Reference X Z 3001 F70 and X Z 3001 C94 1972M.

Directories

Roberts' guide to Japanese Museums of Art and Archaeology, by Laurance P. Roberts, 1987.  Mugar Reference X N 3735 R62 1987.

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

Dictionary of Chinese Mythology, by E.T.C. Werner.  Index and bibliography. Mugar Reference X BL 1801 W35 1977.

Dictionary of Chinese and Japanese Art, by Hugo Munsterberg, 1981.  Includes objects, artists, and legends.   Mugar Reference X N 7340 M78 1981.

Encyclopedia of Vernacular Architecture, ed. Paul Oliver, 3 vols., 1997. Asian cultures and habitats are treated in Volume 2.  Mugar Reference X NA 208 E53 1997.

Feng Shui.  Environments of Power: A Study of Chinese Architecture, by Evelyn Lip.  Chapters on traditional characteristics, Beijing, Kanyu of the Gugong, temples, and landscape gardens. Mugar Reference XNA 1540 L544 1955.
          
Grove Art Online, ed. Jane Turner. Covers the prehistoric era to the 1990's with online updates. Includes over 20,000 biographies of artists, collectors, theorists, critics, and scholars. Extensive survey articles on the culture and civilization of Central Asia, China, and Japan. The 34-volume print version is available at Mugar Reference X N 31 D5 1996.  BU

Handbook of Chinese Art for Collectors and Students, by Margaret Medley. Mugar Reference X N 7340 M4 1974.

International Dictionary of Historic Places. Vol. 5: Asia and Oceania, ed. Trudy Ring. Lengthy essays on selected sites with illustrations and bibliographies. Mugar Reference X CC 135 I585 1995.

Japan Guide, by Botand Bognar. 630 contemporary (post-WWII) works.  Arranged by region. Maps, bibliography, building chronology, list of architects and their buildings. Mugar Reference XNA 1555 B526 1995.

Oriental Art: A Handbook of Styles and Forms, by Jeannine Auboyer, 1980. Mugar Reference X N 7260  G6713 1980.

Penguin Guide to the Monuments of India. Vol. l: Buddhist, Jain, Hindu, by George Mitchell.  Vol. 2: Islamic, Rajput, European, by Philip Davies.  Each volume in two parts: introduction--cultures, religions, patrons, and artists, etc.; and Gazetteer of Monuments of region and site.  Mugar Reference XNA 1501 P46 1989.

History

Ancient China: Art and Archaeology, by Jessica Rawson.  By period: Neolithic, Shang, Western Zhou, Eastern Zhou, and Han dynasties.  General historical survey to 220 A.D. with examples from the British Museum. Mugar Reference X N 7340 R39 1980.

Annotated Outlines of the History of Chinese Arts, by Grace Dunham Guest, 1949.  Published by the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.  Includes illustrations.

Archaeology of Korea, by Sarah Milledge Nelson.  Mugar DS 903 .N45 1993.

Cambridge History of Ancient China: From the Origins of Civilization to 221 B.C. , by Michael Loewe. Mugar Reference X DS 741.5 C35 1999.

History of Civilizations of Central Asia , 2 vols.   From the beginnings to A.D. 250.  Mugar Reference X DS 329.4 H58 1992.

History of Far Eastern Art, by Sherman Lee, 5th ed.  Mugar N 7336  L43 1994.

History of Japanese Art, by Penelope Mason.  Mugar N 7350 M26 1993.

Introduction to Korean Architecture, by Sam Y. Park, 2 vols.  Mugar NA 1560 .P37 1991.

International Dictionary of Historic Places . Vol. 5: Asia and Oceania ,
ed. Trudy Ring. Lengthy essays on selected sites with illustrations and bibliographies.
Mugar Reference X CC 135 I585 1995.

Journey into China's Antiquity: National Museum of Chinese History , ed. Yu Weichao, 4 vols. "Based on the exhibition of Chinese history on permanent display." Vol. 1: Palaeolithic Age, Low Neolithic Age, Upper Neolithic Age,  Xia Dynasty, Shang Dynasty, Western Zhou Dynasty,Spring and Autumn Period; Vol. 2: Warring States Period, Qin Dynasty, The Western and Eastern Han Dynasties, Three Kingdoms through Western and Eastern Jin to Northern and Southern Dynasties; Vol. 3: Sui Dynasty, Tang Dynasty, Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, Northern and Southern Song Dynasties; Vol. 4: Yuan Dynasty, Ming Dynasty, Qing Dynasty. Mugar Reference X DS 735 J68 1997.

Korea: Art and Archaeology, by Jane Portal.  British Museum. Mugar DS904 .P67 2000.

Silk Road Seattle, a project of the Walter Chapin Simpson Center for the Humanities at the University of Washington, directed by Daniel C. Waugh. Comprehensive links to all aspects of Eurasian culture from the lst to the 17th century A.D.

Sources of the Japanese Tradition, compiled by Ryusaku Tsunoda, etal., 1958.  Civilization and history.  Mugar DS 821  F58.

Internet Links


Ancient Japan, by Richard Hooker, last updated 1999.

ArchNet: Resources for Asian Archaeology.

Art History Resources on the Web: Asian Art, by Chris Witcombe, Sweet Briar College, updated 2008.

Arts of China Consortium (formerly Chinese and Japanese Art History: WWW Virtual Library).

Asian Arts , the on-line journal for the study and exhibition of the arts of Asia.  

Asian Reading Room , Library of Congress, updated 2007.

Chinese Vernacular Architecture, updated 2007.

Dunhuang Art: through the eyes of Duan Wenjie, book, translated from Chinese, edited by Tan Chung, 1994. See also: Mugar ND2849.T84 T73 1994

The Hedda Hammer Morrison Photographs of China, 1933-1946, 5,000 photographs taken in Beijing, Harvard-Yenching Library.

Historical Architecture of Asia, photographs indexed by country, city, building. Maps. Updated 2007.

Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, image collections

International Dunhuang Project, updated 2008.  Images of manuscripts, paintings, and artefacts. Maps. Essays and reports.

East Asian Studies: Doing Research in East Asian Studies, Chinese, Japanese, Korean. Duke University Libraries.

Symbols

Chinese Symbolism and Art Motifs: An Alphabetical Compendium of Antique Legends and Beliefs, as Reflected in the Manners and Customs of the Chinese, by C.A.S. Williams, reprint of 3rd ed rev, 1941. Mugar Reference X GR 335 W53 1988.

Dictionary of Chinese Symbols: Hidden Symbols in Chinese Life and Thought, by Wolfram Eberhard, translation from German.  Mugar Reference X DS 721 E32613 1986.

Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs, text and illustrations by Robert Beer. Mugar Reference X N7346.T5 B43 1999.

Illustrated Dictionary of Symbols in Eastern and Western Art, by James Hall. Sections on abstract signs, animals, artifacts, earth and sky, human body and dress, and plans. Bibliography and chronological tables. Mugar Reference X N 7740 H35 1994.

Pointers and Clues to the Subjects of Chinese and Japanese Art; as shown in Drawings, Prints, Carvings and the Decoration of Porcelain and Lacquer, by Will Edmunds. Re-publication of the edition published in 1934. No illustrations. Mugar Reference X N 7337 E3 2002.

Reading Buddhist Art: An Illustrated Guide to Buddhist Signs and Symbols, by Meher McArthur, 2002.  Mugar N 8193 M39 2002.

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Ruth S. Thomas (rthomas@bu.edu)
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