Does Islam require an iconoclastic hostility to representational media in general, or is this idea just one more misrepresentation? This course takes a historical perspective on such topical questions and on the media through which they circulate and proliferate.

What does it mean to be “Chinese,” when the term stands at once as a marker of nationality, ethnicity, language and culture? Through the lens of literature and film, this course looks into the rich histories and cultural diversities of Chinese communities.

This course will explore the Shahnameh as literature, history, and material culture—including illustrated manuscripts, printed books, ceramics, metalwork, andposters—from Ferdowsi’s tenth-century context to the contemporary moment.