Buddhist Art (FA 13b)

Bodhisattva Standing on a Lotus Panel, Chinese Tang dynasty or slightly later, 9th-10th century China Buddhist banner mounted as panel; ink and color on silk, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston: Special Chinese and Japanese Fund 14.47

Library Intensive Web Page -- Fall 2004

Maintained by Darwin F. Scott, Creative Arts Librarian

Professor Aida Wong
The history of Buddhist art on the Silk Road.

Contents (under construction)

Basic Search and Research Guides for Art Materials at Brandeis

QuickStart Guide: Art, Architecture & Photography

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Search Strategies for Buddhist and Asian Art

  • For keyword searches, remember to search both the noun and adjective or use the truncation sign (when possible) for geographical terms--always put an or search in parantheses:
  • (buddha or buddhist) or buddh?
  • (china or chinese) or chin?
  • (japan or japanese) or japan?
  • (tibet or tibetan) or tibet?
  • Historical periods can be by dynasties or century or range of years:
  • Three kingdoms-Sui dynasty, 220-618
  • Tang-Five dynasties, 618-960
  • Sung-Yüan dynasties, 960-1368
  • Qing dynasty, 1644-1912
  • Japan -- History -- Heian period, 794-1185
  • Painting, Japanese -- Kamakura-Momoyama periods, 1185-1600
  • Art, Japanese -- To 1600
  • Art, Korean -- To 935
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Specialized Subject Terms for Research and Online Searching

A Sample of Library of Congress Subject Headings That Cover Buddhist Art

Art, Buddhist

 Art, Buddhist -- Asia, Central
Art, Buddhist -- India  
Art, Buddhist -- East Asia
 Art, Buddhist -- Japan
Art, Chinese -- Qing dynasty, 1644-1912
 Art, Chinese -- China -- Hong Kong -- 20th century
Art, Chinese -- Tibetan

 Art, Tantric-Buddhist
Borobudur (Temple : Magelang, Indonesia)
 Buddhism and art
Buddhist art and symbolism

 Buddhist art and symbolism -- China
Buddhist mythology

 Calligraphy, Zen
Cave temples, Buddhist -- India
 Emerald Buddha (Statue)
Gods, Buddhist, in art

 Guatama Buddha -- Art
Idols and images -- India

Mandala (Buddhism)

  Mural painting and decoration, Buddhist
Mural painting and decoration, Chinese
 Painting, Buddhist -- Japan
Painting, Chinese -- Ming-Qing dynasties, 1368-1912
 Painting -- China -- Shanghai.
Painting, Zen
 Pure Land Buddhism in Art
Saints, Buddhist, in art
 Sculpture, Buddhist
  Sculpture, Thai
Sculpture, Buddhist -- Thailand

 Temples, Buddhist -- Indonesia
Wisdom -- Religious aspects -- Buddhism



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Romanization Quicksand for Chinese Names and Terms

Form on Item Library of Congress Form
Title: The paintings of Chang Dai-chien Subject heading: Chang, Ta-ch'ien; Grove Art Online: Zhang Daqian
Title: The Lingnan (Cantonese) School of Painting Subject heading: Ling-nan school of painting
Subject heading (LOUIS): Mao Zedong Subject heading (BHA): Mao Tse-tung

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Basic Electronic Resources for Researching Buddhist Art

Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

Grove Art Online (electronic art dictionary)

Electronic art dictionary with continuous updating of content and thousands of image links to art works.
Key articles:
Use the sidebar to navigate through a variety of topics in subdivisions related to Buddhism (each with its own bibliography):
Introduction
Iconography
Regional Surveys
  1. Indian subcontinent
  2. Sri Lanka
  3. Southeast Asia
  4. Central Asia
  5. Nepal
  6. Tibet
  7. Mongolia
  8. China
  9. Korea
  10. Japan
  • Country (and other geographic location) articles, such as:
  • Terms, such as:
Use full-text (advanced) search for locating articles that contain a particular term:
  • Always click the Boolean option
  • Use quotes around a phrase, such as "wrathful deities", "lotus sutra",
  • Use and between two essential but nonadjacent words: hindu and buddhist, madala and japan, dunhuang and caves
  • Use or between two synonyms: jizo or kshitigarbha
How to locate images:
  • Enter artist's name into search box -- click go.
  • Select article on artist from the results list.
  • After article appears, click on Links directly under the search box.
  • Links to individual artworks are found under Works, arranged in alphabetical order by the holding institution.
  • Note: when clicked, the links connect directly with the museum or image site in a new window.


Periodicals (Journals)

Art Abstracts
Search for articles in a variety of art journals, 1984- .
Bibliography of the History of Art (BHA) (citations)
Search for articles in academic art journals, for articles within collections of essays (conference proceedings, festschrifts, etc.), and academic books covering topics in art history.

Bibliography of Asian Studies (citations)
Search here for citations to western-language monographs, articles, and book chapters on the social sciences and humanities pertaining to all parts of Asia, 1971 to present. Good for finding articles relating to Asian art not in art journals.

Academic Search Premier (full text articles and citations)
Journal article database for ALL subjects; includes citations for many art journals and full-text for some. Coverage is very current--particularly useful for locating information on current or recent exhibitions, trendy or controversial topics, articles in newspapers such as the New York Times, etc. LOUIS provides links to journal titles with full text (often with limited coverage). In searches, put quotes around expressions, such as "Museum of Modern Art" or "New York."
JSTOR (full text articles from academic journals)
Indexes and provides full-text to the older issues of over 100 scholarly journal titles from most disciplines, 1800s to the recent 2-5 years . Art journals include:
  • American Art (and earlier title), 1987-2000
  • Art Bulletin (and earlier titles), 1913-2000
  • Art Journal (and earlier titles), 1929-2000
  • Burlington Magazine (and earlier title), 1903-1998
  • Gesta, 1963-1998
  • Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians (and earlier title), 1941-1998
  • Journal of the Warburg and Courtauld Institutes, 1937-1998
  • October, 1976-1988
  • Winterthur Portfolio, 1964-2001
Before searching, be sure to check Art & Art History under SELECT DISCIPLINES OR JOURNALS. (This includes the architecture titles as well.)

JSTOR also includes several major journals on Asian studies.

So, when searching, you may want to check both Art & Art History AND Asian Studies under SELECT DISCIPLINES OR JOURNALS .


LexisNexis Academic (full-text newspaper articles)
Excellent access to the full text of recent articles appearing in newspapers, such as the New York Times. Fill in the required boxes as: News category: Arts & Sports News; Select a News Source: Entertainment news. In searches, put quotes around expressions, such as "Museum of Modern Art" or "New York."
New York Times Historical Archive (full-text) Includes full-text and full-image issues of the New York Daily Times, 1851-1857 and the New York Times, 1857-1999.

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Finding Exhibition Catalogs in LOUIS

  • Almost every bibliographic record for an exhibition catalog will include the subject word Exhibitions:

    Art, Buddhist -- Himalaya Mountains Region -- Exhibitions

    Art, Buddhist -- Korea -- Exhibitions.

    Ling-nan school of painting -- Exhibitions

  • In addition, almost every bibliographic record for an exhibition catalog will include a description of the exhibition--and this description includes the searchable word exhibition:

    Published in conjunction with an exhibition held at the Art Institute of Chicago, Apr. 5-Aug. 17, 2003 and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Oct. 18, 2003-Jan. 11, 2004

Exhibition presented at Japan Society Gallery, New York, from April 9 through June 22, 2003 and organized by Japan Society and the Korea Society, New York in association with the Gyeongju National Museum, the Nara National Museum, the Japan Foundation, and the Korea Foundation.
  • To find an exhibition catalog focused on an artist, a particular topic, or a particular museum or collection, perform a keyword search that includes the artist's name, the name of the museum, or the topic word or words AND the search word exhibition? -- this truncation will search for both the descriptive word exhibition and the subject word exhibitions.
  • Caveat: do not use the word exhibit (or exhibits) in your search--it might get a few results, but it is not used consistently in bibliographic records for exhibition catalogs.
  • So, to find all the Chinese art exhibition catalogs at Brandeis, perform this LOUIS keyword search:
  • art chin? exhibition?
  • To find all the exhibition catalogs of Chinese art at Metropolitan Museum of Art held by Brandeis, perform this LOUIS keyword search:
  • chin? metropolitan exhibition?
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Finding Reviews of Exhibitions

ArtIndex (article citations)
  • Use to search art periodicals.
  • Format searches as for LOUIS and WorldCat.
LexisNexis Academic (full text )
  • Use to search for the full-text of reviews in newspapers, such as the New York Times, Washington Post, etc.
  • Coverage is extremely current.
  • <>Fill in the required boxes as:
    <>
    • <><>Step One -- News category: Arts & Sports News
    • <><>Step Two -- Select a news source: Entertainment news
    • <><> Step Three -- Enter search terms: select Full Text
    <>In searches, put quotes around expressions, such as "Museum of Modern Art" or "New York".<>For searches, use key terms from the title of the exhibition and the museum holding the exhibition.
    <>
    • <><>Step Four -- Select the appropriate date range based on when the exhibition was held.
Academic Search Premier (full text articles and article citations)
  • Use to search for full-text articles and citations in a wide range of journals -- coverage can be very current.
  • Format searches as for LOUIS and WorldCat.
  • In searches, put quotes around expressions, such as "Museum of Modern Art" or "New York" and connect search words with and.
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Key Periodicals Dealing with Asian and Chinese Art

Archives of Asian Art
Published by the Asia Society, New York."The Asia Society is one of the world's foremost institutions dedicated to building bridges of understanding between Americans and Asians. Founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd.
Stacks N11.C33 A3

Arts of Asia
"The foremost international Asian arts and antiques magazine." Published by Arts of Asia Publications Ltd., Hong Kong.
Stacks NX 572 .A75

Artibus Asiae
Was associated with the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University; from 1991, published by Museum Rietberg Zurich, in cooperation with the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.
Stacks N 8 A75

Asian Art and Culture (earlier title: Asian Art)
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery (Smithsonian Institution). Ceased with vol. 9 (1996). Vols. 1-6 (1987/8-1993) have title Asian Art.
Stacks N 5343 .A842

Oriental Art
Editorial board made up of some of the leading Asian art historians and curators in the U.S. and Great Britain.
Stacks: N 8 .D75

Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art
Not held by Brandeis, but contents of all issues can be viewed at http://www.yishujournal.com. Articles could be ordered through Interlibrary Loan. Began publication in 2002.

Guide to Tibetan Art, Theatre & Music
Provides a central access point to online resources dealing with Tibetan art. Established in April 1995. Subdivides into sections on

Documentation of Tibetan Art and Culture
Images of Tibetan Religious & Non-religious Art
Images of Tibetan Architecture
Tibetan Music
Tibetan Textiles
Tents and Carpets
Tibetan Theater
Images of Tibetan Religious Art in the West
Images of Tibetan Religious Symbols
Tibetan Art Shops and Galleries

This site is a component of the Tibetan Studies WWW Virtual Library and the WWW Virtual Library.

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Citations, Style Guides, Writing Guides

Documentation Guidelines: Citing Sources within Your Paper (Duke University)

Citing Articles in Grove Art Online

There are numerous ways to cite an online encyclopedia, and specifically, an article in Grove Art Online. Here's what I recommend based on the editorial guidelines for Notes: The Journal of the Music Library Association for Grove Music Online (I edit a review column for this journal).
  • A signed article, with one author for the entire article:
Footnote :
Sarah Whitaker Peters, "O'Keeffe, Georgia," Grove Art Online (2004), http://www.groveart.com (accessed 7 September 2004). [Note: this article is unrevised.]

Franklin Kelly, "Hudson River School" (rev. 27 September 1999), Grove Art Online, http://www.groveart.com (accessed 7 September 2004). [Note: this article is revised.]

Bibliography :

Peters, Sarah Whitaker. "O'Keeffe, Georgia." Grove Art Online (2004), http://www.groveart.com (accessed 7 September 2004). [Note: this article is unrevised.]

Kelly, Franklin. "Hudson River School" (rev. 27 September 1999). Grove Art Online, http://www.groveart.com (accessed 7 September 2004). [Note: this article is revised.]
  • A signed article, person is author of a portion of the article:
Footnote :

Ann Barrott Wicks, "Literati" (rev. 30 April 2002), sec. V ("Painting"), 4 ("Painters and Institutions"), ii of "China," Grove Art Online, http://www.groveart.com (accessed 7 September 2004). [Note: this article is revised.]

Bibliography :

Wicks, Ann Barrott, "Literati," sec. V ("Painting), 4 ("Painters and Institutions"), ii of "China." Grove Art Online, http://www.groveart.com (accessed 7 September 2004). [Note: this article is revised.]

Citing an Exhibition Catalog
Example (from Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed. [2003]) :

Mary Cassatt: Modern Woman. Edited by Judith A. Barter. Chicago: Art Institute of Chicage, in association with Harry N. Abrams, 1998. Published in conjunction with the exhibition "Mary Cassatt: Modern Woman" shown at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the National Gallery in Washington, DC, and the Art Institute of Chicago.

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Chinese Pronunciation Guides

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This page was last modified on: Apr 08, 2008