Art and Material Culture of the Conquest Dynasties, 907–1368

The term “Conquest Dynasties,” first coined by Karl Wittfogel in the 1940s, refers to the nomadic and semi-nomadic regimes of the Kitan-Liao, Jurchen-Jin, and Mongol-Yuan that ruled significant portions of China between the tenth and fourteenth centuries. Rather than being simply “assimilated” into Chinese culture, these empires maintained dual political systems, creating a unique middle ground in which steppe traditions and sedentary administrative practices converged. This course examines materials created for Inner Asian elites, while also analyzing objects produced for Chinese consumers to explore how they fared under nomadic rule. By integrating archaeological evidence with historical texts, the course surveys a wide variety of media and forms, including gold and silver, bronze mirrors, ceramics, and glass, as well as tomb murals, scroll paintings, and Buddhist and Daoist artifacts. It highlights how these objects functioned as sites of cultural negotiation and identity formation within the broader context of medieval Eurasia. 3 credits. Satisfies either the chronological or geocultural requirement.