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  1. Insegnamenti

0001054 - Art Collections, Colonialism, and Evangelization in Asia and Africa

insegnamento
ID:
0001054
Durata (ore):
54
CFU:
9
SSD:
Storia del cristianesimo e delle chiese
Sede:
UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI "L'ORIENTALE"
Url:
Dettaglio Insegnamento:
Lingue e culture dell'Asia e dell'Africa/Humanities of Contemporary Africa and Asia Anno: 1
Anno:
2026
  • Dati Generali
  • Syllabus
  • Corsi
  • Persone
  • Altre Info

Dati Generali

Periodo di attività

Primo Semestre (28/09/2026 - 15/01/2027)

Syllabus

Obiettivi Formativi

At the end of the course, the student will have to demonstrate a general understanding of European collecting between the 16th and 18th centuries, with special regard to objects related to the culture/language of his/her university curriculum. This means being able to contextualize the works’ acquisition and circulation in the historical and intellectual landscape of the early modern period, including colonization and missionary evangelization. Furthermore, the student must have acquired the basic skills to deal with the analysis of an object: iconographic description, relevant sources relating to production, function, provenance, acquisition and relationship to the collection.

For students attending classes, we will have workshop activities aimed at developing certain technical skills that are transversal to history, archaeology and art history: understanding tools such as catalogues and inventories, knowing how to formulate a catalogue entry, learning how to read and review an exhibition, as well as drafting an exhibition proposal. With reference to additional learning outcomes, we note here:

·      Critical ability in establishing original and accurately informed links between the works in the repertoire from an iconographic, conceptual and art-historical point of view.

·      Competence in developing individual papers in accordance with scientific guidelines as well as in presenting them to the class.

·      Transversal, socio-relational skills related to teamworking and delivering collective outputs.


Prerequisiti

No special requirements are requested other than an interest, even a general one, in art historical sources and materials. An inclination to take active part in class discussions (e.g. presenting one’s own work) and a collaborative attitude in group activities are useful.

Metodi didattici

The course consists of lectures (followed by group discussion) and workshop activities. The former will be divided into a general introduction to the collection and the analysis of specific works from the collection itself. The workshop activities consist of:
• Reviewing an exhibition using online resources (individual activity)
• Writing a catalogue entry (individual activity)
• Writing an exhibition proposal (group activity)

Verifica Apprendimento

Oral exam (a topic of choice from the given bibliography and analysis of an object indicated by the examiner from the reference catalogues). For attending students: the evaluation will be based on the students’ active participation in the classes and on the papers produced in the workshop activities, which will be discussed during the oral exam.

Testi

- For students MAA, 9CFU

Impey & MacGregor, eds. The Origins of Museums:

• One section: Italian and Dutch collections (cap. 1, 2, 3, 14, 20) or Central European collections (cap. 4, 5, 6, 9, 10)

• One chapter between 29, 30, 31, 32, 33.


From Levenson, ed. Encompassing the Globe (vol. essays), one section between: “The African Coast” (pp. 53-101); “The Indian Ocean” (pp. 139-209); “Merchants and Missionaries in China” & “The Arrival of Southern Barbarians” (pp. 211-253).


Da Levenson, ed. Encompassing the Globe (vol. reference catalogue):

• “Portugal” (pp. 8-65)

• One section between: “Africa” (pp. 66-87); “Indian Ocean” (pp. 106-137); “China” & “Japan” (pp. 138-179).


- For students MAC, 6CFU:

Da Impey & MacGregor, eds. The Origins of Museums:

• One chapter between 1, 2, 3, 14, 20;

• One chapter between 4, 5, 6, 9, 10;

• One chapter between 29, 30, 31, 32, 33.


From Levenson, ed. Encompassing the Globe (vol. essays), one section between: “The African Coast” (pp. 53-101); “The Indian Ocean” (pp. 139-209); “Merchants and Missionaries in China” & “The Arrival of Southern Barbarians” (pp. 211-253).


Da Levenson, ed. Encompassing the Globe (vol. reference catalogue):

• One section between: “Africa” (pp. 66-87); “Indian Ocean” (pp. 106-137); “China” & “Japan” (pp. 138-179).


Contenuti

The course focuses on the collecting activity of extra-European objects between the 16th and 18th centuries, and its relation to colonial expansion and missionization. Within this broad topic, we will particularly focus on: 1. Courtly and ecclesiastical collections in three regions interconnected by dynastic and religious ties: the Iberian Peninsula, Central Europe and the Italian states. 2. Objects from Sub-Saharan Africa, the Indian Subcontinent, Persia, the Middle East and East Asia. 3. Thematic focus on various ways objects circulated and were collected (e.g. diplomacy, political alliances, pilgrimages, relics trade, development of scientific knowledge, display of power). 4. Methodological issues of research, conservation and exhibition of the material sources under study.


Synopsis

1. General introduction


Diplomatic gifts and dynastic alliances

2. Turin, Gallerie Sabaude: West and Central African ivories in Renaissance collections

3. Munich, Residenz Schatzkammer: Sri Lankan caskets for the Avis court

4. Naples, Museo di Capodimonte: Asian fans in Habsburg collections

Objects’ re-elaborations

5. Naples, Museo di Capodimonte: Rhinoceros horn cups from India and China

6. Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum: South Indian jewelry and crystal rock carvings

7. Dresden, Grüne Gewölbe: Indo-Persian objects with mother-of-pearl inlaids/overlaids

Sacred art: martyrdom, relics trade and pilgrimage

8. Madrid, Descalzas Reales: Casket-reliquaries of Japanese, Persian and Indian origin

9. Lisbon, Convento da Graça: Metalworks from Hormuz and Safavid-Augustinian relations

10. Lisbon, Museu de São Roque: Silverworks from the Indian missions


11. Class activity: How to write a catalogue entry


Missionary industries: three cases from the Ducal Palace in Vila Viçosa

12. Devotional figurines of Child Jesus from India and Sri Lanka

13. Franciscan pilgrimage mementos from the Holy Land

14. European collection of Chinese porcelain and missionary productions from Southern China, the Philippines and Japan


15. Class activity: how to write an exhibition proposal


Classical myths and the display of power: Two interconnected cases

16. Florence, Medicean armories: The myth of Perseus and the Medici-Safavid relations

17. Delhi, Red Fort: The myth of Orpheus and the display of Mughal imperial authority


18. Class activity: How to write an exhibition review


Other forms of collecting: The Mughal case

19. The Mughal collection of Western items with special regard to Christian icons

20. A peculiar collecting format: the muraqqa


21. Class activity: papers revision


Botanical and zoological collections: comparative perspectives

22. Menageries and the development of animal depictions (Florence, Madrid-Vienna, Lahore-Delhi)

23. The Jesuit art of the garden between European and Asian models


24. Class activity: exhibition presentation


A focus on object typologies

25. Indian textiles for the European market

26. Ottoman re-adaptations


Lingua Insegnamento

English

Corsi

Corsi

Lingue e culture dell'Asia e dell'Africa 
Laurea Magistrale
2 anni
No Results Found

Persone

Persone

GUSELLA FRANCESCO
Settore HIST-04/B - Storia del cristianesimo e delle chiese
Gruppo 11/HIST-04 - SCIENZE DEL LIBRO, DEL DOCUMENTO E STORICO-RELIGIOSE
AREA MIN. 11 - Scienze storiche, filosofiche, pedagogiche e psicologiche
Ricercatori/trici a tempo determinato
No Results Found

Altre Info

Insegnamento principale

Art Collections, Colonialism, and Evangelization in Asia and Africa
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