This course surveys the visual arts of Japan from prehistory to the nineteenth century. Following a chronological progression, students will learn about key monuments and objects—including painting, sculpture, ceramics, prints, architecture, lacquerware, and textiles—across the various epochs of premodern Japanese history. Lectures will explore the broader cultural and historical contexts that produced the artworks under consideration. Topics to be covered include the ongoing relationship with the past in Japanese visual culture, the impact of foreign cultures on local traditions, the role of ritual, changing patronage structures, and the evolving functions and expressions of Japanese art.