Ars Orientalis 44, “The Arts of Death in Asia,” is grew out of a panel of the same name held at the 2012 Association of Asian Studies Annual Conference in Toronto. Guest edited by Melia Belli, this volume unites diverse representations of death in art across Asia, while maintaining that Asia is far from a monolithic entity. Volume 44 aims to cultivate new insights about death and funerary art through an in-depth discussion of art objects in their appropriate contexts.
Articles in this volume move geographically east, from modern Uzbekistan to India to China and Japan. Included are discussions of death art found in Ottoman manuscripts and among Buddhist communities in northern Thailand.
Ars Orientalis 44 also marks the launch of the journal’s first entirely digital volume. It provides extras not available in the printed volume, including additional images, video content, and “Digital Initiatives,” a column that explores digital tools, research resources, publications, and learning opportunities in art history and related fields, with a special focus on topics relevant to Ars Orientalis readers. A complement to the printed volume, digital Ars Orientalis offers subscribers a new design and easily maneuverable features.
