E-1075 – The Anthropology of Art
E.S. Curtis
P. Picasso
Fall, 2018
Prof. Gary Urton
Wednesdays, 6:00-8:00p.m., Peabody Museum 12
Department of Anthropology
Note: Students will need to enter and exit through the Tozzer
Peabody Museum 557A-B
Anthropology Building, at 21 Divinity Avenue, and use the
gurton@fas.harvard.edu
connecting walkway to Peabody Museum 12
https://www.extension.harvard.edu/course-catalog/courses/anthropology-of-art/15875
I. Course Description:
Iridescent feather headdresses, ancient textiles with images of human-feline figures, and
ceramic vessels adorned with glyphs and kingly figures: what did such objects mean to the
people who made them, and which are now sometimes referred to as “primitive art?” What
technological capabilities and skills were involved in their production? How can we today
develop an understanding of these objects and an appreciation of their meaning and significance
to people who made and used them? What can an object that was made and venerated by people
in a society in the distant past tell us about the cosmology, or worldview, of its makers? And
finally, what can we say not just about what objects mean and meant to people, but how objects
themselves have agency in society (a presumption that goes today under the label of
“materiality”)?
This course will lead students on an exploration of these and other questions concerning
the production, use and meaning of objects primarily in ancient cultures but also in present-day
non-Western societies. Each class period will be devoted to the study of a particular object or
group of objects from a different society. Whenever possible, we will make use of the collection
of objects in Harvard’s Peabody Museum. Readings will help direct us in asking questions about
how and why the objects were made and what their significance may have been to their makers.
The objective of the course will be to ask how we can arrive at an understanding of the culture
and worldview of the people who made the objects selected for study.
Class meetings will involve the discussion of readings on the objects and topics
designated for that week’s discussion. You will be asked to submit questions from the week’s
readings in advance of class in order to clarify your own thinking on the readings, as well as to
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stimulate class discussion (these weekly contributions will form a significant part of the class
participation portion of your grade). Students will be responsible for selecting a research topic
for independent research leading to the writing of a research paper (min. 20 pp.) focusing on an
ancient or non-Western art object or artistic tradition.
II. Course Text (please purchase at the COOP or online by the beginning of the term):*
- Howard Morphy & Morgan Perkins (eds.), The Anthropology of Art: A Reader.
Blackwell Anthologies in Social and Cultural Anthropology. 2006 (paper).
To buy or rent new or used copies of the required text, go to the COOP website:
https://tinyurl.com/300-ANTH-E-1075-F18-1
* Additional electronic texts, indicated by (W) on the following pages of course readings, will be
found in electronic format at the course website.
III. Grades: Your grade for this course will be based 50% on class participation and 50% on
your research paper.
Please note:
You are responsible for understanding Harvard Extension School policies on academic integrity
(www.extension.harvard.edu/resources-policies/student- conduct/academic-integrity) and how to
use sources responsibly. Not knowing the rules, misunderstanding the rules, running out of time,
submitting the wrong draft, or being overwhelmed with multiple demands are not acceptable
excuses. There are no excuses for failure to uphold academic integrity.
To support your learning about academic citation rules, please visit the Harvard Extension
School Tips to Avoid Plagiarism (www.extension.harvard.edu/resourcespolicies/resources/tipsavoid-plagiarism), where you'll find links to the Harvard Guide to Using Sources and two free
online 15-minute tutorials to test your knowledge of academic citation policy. The tutorials are
anonymous openlearning tools.
Graduate-Credit Students (Text adapted from Extension School Handbook):
Graduate-credit students are expected to do more work and perform at higher standards than
undergraduate-credit students. Graduate-credit students will be treated separately in terms of
assignments, grading standards, performance, and additional meetings.
Course credit will be awarded for grades below B- in graduate-level courses, but that credit
cannot be applied to Extension School graduate degrees and grades below B cannot be applied to
graduate certificates. However, final grades will be assigned based on the Extension School’s
academic standards and the student’s achievement. The student’s degree candidacy will not
influence my calculation of final grades.
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Classes, Topics and Assignments
Sept. 5 – Introductions
Morphy & Perkins [M. & P.], “The Anthropology of Art: A Reflection on its
History and Contemporary Practice,” pp. 1-32.
Sept. 12 – A World of Objects. What are the questions?
M. & P.- Franz Boas, “Primitive Art,” pp. 39-55.
M. & P. - C. Levi-Strauss, “Split Representation…,” pp. 56-73
Scott, S., “Art and the Archaeologist” (W)
Sept. 19 –
M. & P. - W. Fagg, “Intro. to Tribes and Forms in African Art,” pp. 74-77
M. & P. – G. Bateson, “Style, Grace, and Info. in Primitive Art,” pp. 78-90
A. Lagamma, “Genesis: Ideas of Origin in African Sculpture,” pp. 55-92 (W)
Sept. 26 –
M. & P. – R. Firth, “Tikopia Art and Society,” pp. 91-108
M. & P. – A. Forge, “The Abelam Artist,” pp. 109-122
Oct. 3 –
M. & P. – W. Rubin, “Modernist Primitivism: An Intro.,” pp. 129-146
M. & P. – A. Danto, “Defective Affinities: ‘Primitivism’ …,” pp. 147-149
M. & P. – J. Clifford, “Histories of the Tribal and the Modern,” pp. 150-166
Oct. 10 –
M. & P. – C. Clunas, “Oriental Antiquities/Far Eastern Art,” pp. 186-208
M. & P. – S. Vogel, “Introduction to Art/Artifact…,” pp. 209-218
M. & P. – A. Gell, “Vogel’s Net:…,” pp. 219-236
Oct. 17 –
M. & P. – R.F. Thompson, “Yoruba Artistic Criticism,” pp. 242-269
M. & P. – H. Lechtman, “Style in Technology…,” pp. 270-280
E. Franquemont, “Tanka, Chongo, Kutij…,” pp. 177- 214 (W)
Oct. 24 --
M. & P. – J. Coote, “’Marvels of Everyday Vision’:…,” pp. 281-301
M. & P. – H. Morphy, “From Dull to Brilliant…,” pp. 302-320
N. Saunders, “Biographies of Brilliance…,” pp. 243-257 (W)
Oct. 31 –
M. & P. – N.D. Munn, “Visual Categories:…,” pp. 326-338
M. & P. – Rosman and Rubel, “Structural Pattern. in Kwakiutl…,” pp. 339-357
M. & P. – A. Jonaitis, “Sacred Art & Spiritual Power…,” pp. 358-373
Nov. 7 –
M. & P. – D. Guss, “All Things Made,” pp. 374-386
M. & P. – M. O’Hanlon, “Modernity and the ‘Graphicalization’…,” pp. 387-406
M. & P. – N. H. Graburn, “Arts of the Fourth World,” pp. 412-430
Nov. 14 –
M. & P. – R. Phillips, “The Collecting and Display of Souvenir…,” pp. 431-453
M. & P. – C. Steiner, “The Art of the Trade…,” pp. 454-466
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Nov. 21 -
[No Class – Thanksgiving break]
Nov. 28 –
M. & P. – N. Thomas, “A Second Reflection…,” pp. 472-494
M. & P. – F. Myers, “Representing Culture…,” pp. 495-512
Dec. 5 –
M. & P. – G. Bennett, “Aesthetics and Iconography…,” pp. 513-519
M. & P. – C. Townsend-Gault,”Kinds of Knowing,” pp. 520-543
M. & P. – J. Rickard, “Cew Ete Haw I Tih:…,” pp. 544-548
Dec. 12 – *PAPERS DUE
Paper Presentations
Dec. 19 –
Paper Presentations