Course Schedule and Catalog

Long Title: COFFEEHOUSES AND TEAHOUSES: A GLOBAL HISTORY

Department: Art History

Grade Mode: Standard Letter

Language of Instruction: Taught in English

Course Type: Lecture

Distribution Group: Distribution Group I

Credit Hours: 3

Description: From Ottoman coffeehouses to Japanese teahouses to Parisian cafes, the collective consumption of substances such as coffee, tea, and tobacco has long created distinctive material cultures, artworks, and architectural spaces. In this course, we trace the dissemination of these stimulants across the globe from the sixteenth century onward. We will examine the material context of the substances in different scales, ranging from utensils to interior spaces and broader urban landscapes. Routes of transfer will be explored along with the development of new forms of sociability, material objects, and architectural types such as coffeehouses, teahouses, and smoking rooms. This course occasionally meets at an area museum during the semester.