SOAS-Alphawood Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art

Art and archaeology of the Indian ocean world

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Key information

Duration
3 Feb – 24 Mar 2025
Attendance mode
Online

Course overview

This short course showcases the art, archaeology and diverse cultures of the Indian Ocean World, a region that stretches from the east coast of Africa to the South China Sea.

The Indian Ocean has long been an interconnected world. Arabs, Persians, Malays, Tamils and Gujaratis were all sailing its maritime routes from as early as the mid first millennium CE. Sophisticated networks stretching along ports and coastal cities developed, facilitating trade and travel over vast distances. This led to a greater interaction of people, goods, and information, and had a profound impact on the unique social, cultural, and religious forms of the region. 

By the twelfth century Chinese ships also started plying these routes and from 1496 onwards European ships entered the fray. This latter incursion marked a violent shift in the balance of power in the Indian Ocean World, one that foreshadowed the waves of European colonialism in the centuries to come.

Through eight lectures, this short course explores a number of case studies spanning various regions and periods of the Indian Ocean World. We look at Islamic Manuscripts and Material Culture from Coastal East Africa. We uncover the Hindu and Buddhist arts of Sri Lanka and the neighbouring Maldives. We will hear about recent groundbreaking archaeological discoveries in today’s Peninsular Malaysia and explore the art of Srivijaya, a maritime culture centered on the Straits of Malacca. 

Moving east we look at how Muslim communities in coastal China expressed themselves in art and architecture. Moving forward in time our attention turns to Spanish colonial involvement in the region via the Manila Galleon trade which linked China to Mexico via the Philippines and the Pacific Ocean.

Q&A sessions will provide a unique opportunity to discuss the art and archaeology of the Indian Ocean World with leading scholars, archaeologists and curators in the field.

This online short course is offered by the SOAS-Alphawood Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art and convened by Dr Mizuho Ikeda (Research Associate, Centre of Southeast Asian Studies, SOAS) and Dr Stephen Murphy (Pratapaditya Pal Senior Lecturer in Curating and Museology of Asian Art, SOAS). 

Structure

The course features eight online lectures delivered via Zoom every Friday at 1pm (UK time). Each lecture is followed by an extended Q&A session. 

All lectures will also be recorded and made available for registrants to view in their own time for a limited period. More information, including the full schedule of lectures, will be available in the near future.

Fees and funding

Registration Fee: £375

Please refer to our registration terms and conditions before registering.

Bursary for residents of Southeast Asia:

Bursaries are available for permanent residents of the following countries: Brunei, Cambodia, East Timor, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar/Burma, Singapore, Thailand or Vietnam.

Those interested are required to complete a short application form, stating how attendance of the course will positively impact their professional, academic or personal development. Successful applicants will receive a fully funded place on the course.

Enquiries: