Asian Studies Seminar Series: Noga Ganany In brief Date - 2 April 2025Venue - Room LG.08, 40 George SquareSpeaker - Dr Noga Ganany (University of Cambridge)Title - Extraordinary Lives: Illustrated Hagiographies in Ming Book Culture About the eventby Dr Nona GananyIn Ming China, the lives of deities and revered figures were beautifully narrated in painted and printed illustrated hagiographies.In this talk, I will discuss the Buddhist compilation “Origins of the Śākyas” (Shishi yuanliu釋氏源流) vis-à-vis other Ming illustrated hagiographies, drawing examples from works depicting the lives of Laojun, Zhenwu, Xu Xun, and Confucius.Spanning four hundred episodes in the “picture-above-text” format, Shishi yuanliu couples the retelling of the life of the Buddha with a pseudo-historical survey of Chinese Buddhism, presenting a grand vision of Buddhist teachings, rituals, and history as rooted in the life story of its founder.This vision shares numerous thematic and visual traits with other re-imaginings of extraordinary lives in Ming illustrated hagiographies, and is closely linked to other accounts of “origins” (yuanliu 源流 and chushen 出身) in Ming book culture, as seen in encyclopaedias, anthologies, and narrative texts.About the speakerNoga Ganany is an Associate Professor in Chinese Studies at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College. Her main research interests are Chinese cultural history, Chinese religions, premodern Chinese literature, history of the book, and popular culture.Her current book project, 'Origin Narratives: Hagiographic Literature and Religious Practice in Ming China', examines the interplay between cultic reverence and literary writing in a subgenre of illustrated books celebrating the life stories of popular cultural icons.Dr Ganany is a board member of the Society for the Study of Chinese Religions (SSCR) and a board member of the Society for Ming Studies.How to attendThis event is free to attend and open to all. No registration is required, simply turn up on the day.Are you interested in studying with us?We are the only university in Scotland to offer full undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in both Chinese and Japanese, as well as postgraduate programmes in Korean Studies and East Asian Studies. Find out more about Asian Studies at Edinburgh Apr 02 2025 16.00 - 18.00 Asian Studies Seminar Series: Noga Ganany An in-person seminar by Dr Noga Ganany (University of Cambridge), titled 'Extraordinary Lives: Illustrated Hagiographies in Ming Book Culture'. Room LG.08 40 George Square University of Edinburgh EH8 9JX Find the venue: 40 George Square
Asian Studies Seminar Series: Noga Ganany In brief Date - 2 April 2025Venue - Room LG.08, 40 George SquareSpeaker - Dr Noga Ganany (University of Cambridge)Title - Extraordinary Lives: Illustrated Hagiographies in Ming Book Culture About the eventby Dr Nona GananyIn Ming China, the lives of deities and revered figures were beautifully narrated in painted and printed illustrated hagiographies.In this talk, I will discuss the Buddhist compilation “Origins of the Śākyas” (Shishi yuanliu釋氏源流) vis-à-vis other Ming illustrated hagiographies, drawing examples from works depicting the lives of Laojun, Zhenwu, Xu Xun, and Confucius.Spanning four hundred episodes in the “picture-above-text” format, Shishi yuanliu couples the retelling of the life of the Buddha with a pseudo-historical survey of Chinese Buddhism, presenting a grand vision of Buddhist teachings, rituals, and history as rooted in the life story of its founder.This vision shares numerous thematic and visual traits with other re-imaginings of extraordinary lives in Ming illustrated hagiographies, and is closely linked to other accounts of “origins” (yuanliu 源流 and chushen 出身) in Ming book culture, as seen in encyclopaedias, anthologies, and narrative texts.About the speakerNoga Ganany is an Associate Professor in Chinese Studies at the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of Sidney Sussex College. Her main research interests are Chinese cultural history, Chinese religions, premodern Chinese literature, history of the book, and popular culture.Her current book project, 'Origin Narratives: Hagiographic Literature and Religious Practice in Ming China', examines the interplay between cultic reverence and literary writing in a subgenre of illustrated books celebrating the life stories of popular cultural icons.Dr Ganany is a board member of the Society for the Study of Chinese Religions (SSCR) and a board member of the Society for Ming Studies.How to attendThis event is free to attend and open to all. No registration is required, simply turn up on the day.Are you interested in studying with us?We are the only university in Scotland to offer full undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes in both Chinese and Japanese, as well as postgraduate programmes in Korean Studies and East Asian Studies. Find out more about Asian Studies at Edinburgh Apr 02 2025 16.00 - 18.00 Asian Studies Seminar Series: Noga Ganany An in-person seminar by Dr Noga Ganany (University of Cambridge), titled 'Extraordinary Lives: Illustrated Hagiographies in Ming Book Culture'. Room LG.08 40 George Square University of Edinburgh EH8 9JX Find the venue: 40 George Square
Apr 02 2025 16.00 - 18.00 Asian Studies Seminar Series: Noga Ganany An in-person seminar by Dr Noga Ganany (University of Cambridge), titled 'Extraordinary Lives: Illustrated Hagiographies in Ming Book Culture'.
