معرفی
Cortney E. Chaffin is a Professor of Art History at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, specializing in early Chinese art and archaeology. Her research explores the materiality and spatiality of death in ancient China, focusing on hybrid animal imagery in funerary art and wayfinding symbols from the Warring States period.
- PhD in East Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Pennsylvania
- MA in East Asian Languages and Civilizations, University of Pennsylvania
- BA in Art History, University of Michigan-Dearborn
Her work examines fantastic hybrid animal imagery in early Chinese funerary contexts and the cultural significance of tomb sculptures. She investigates how spatial arrangements in burial sites reflect cosmological beliefs and how symbolic monsters mediate between human and spiritual realms.
Recent publications analyze Chu region's zoomorphic art, Hanxi style tomb sculptures, and Buddhist art evolution. Her research spans from Shang dynasty sacrificial practices to Yuan dynasty cultural fusion, highlighting continuity and change in Chinese artistic traditions.
- 2018 University Leadership Mentor Award
- 2012 University Excellence in Teaching Award
Dr. Chaffin contributes to public art history through Smarthistory as a Contributing Editor and co-hosts the podcast Of the Earth with Dr. Ellen Larson. She co-advises the Association of Art Historians and Scholars student organization.
