New Perspectives on Visual and Material Cultures of Medieval Eurasia, session at 55th International Congress on Medieval Studies, Western Michigan University, May 7–10, 2020

This panel seeks to explore the impact of Mongol rule on cross-cultural visual and material production in Iran and China, as well as in the Medieval West. Roughly corresponding to modern-day Iran, the Ilkhanate (1256-1335 CE) was an important region at the crossroads, linking Medieval Europe with East Asia. By looking at the “Mongol presence” in both Chinese, Persian, and Western Medieval art, this session aims not only at connecting scholars working on seemingly different geographical areas, but also at deepening our perception of the cosmopolitan nature of Medieval Eurasia as exemplified by the existing visual and material culture. We welcome papers that approach the topic of cultural production in Eurasia from a variety of perspectives and methodologies (art history, archaeology, literary and translation studies, history and philosophy). Through this panel we hope to challenge the current notion of “Medieval” and what the term includes.

Session organizers
Manuel Giardino
Shutong Liu