Feb.8 & 9, Jin Xu

***This is a mock job talk. The same talk will be given twice in order to suit different schedule of the faculty. Participants are welcomed to attend either one. ***

Wednesday, Feb.8, 12 PM to 1 PM, CWAC 157

Thursday, Feb.9, 5 PM to 6 PM, CWAC 157

“Persian Brocades:” World, Community and Self in Chinese Sogdian Art

Jin Xu，Ph.D. Candidate, Art History, University of Chicago

Sogdians were an Iranian people originating in Central Asia. From the 3rd to 9th century CE, Sogdian merchants traveled extensively along the Silk Road, dominating the trade between the East and the West before the advent of Islamic civilization. Focusing on some best-known examples of their ritual and religious art, this talk discusses how Sogdian immigrant merchants in 6th-century China used “Persian Brocades” to express their cosmopolitan vision of the world, shared identity as a community, and individualistic view of the self. It is hoped that, through the eyes of Sogdian immigrants, we can gain confidence to handle the challenges the world is facing at the moment.