¾«¶«´«Ã½

During the spring 2025 semester, the Department of Art History had a special student addition to their graduate program. Doctoral student Mutsumi Okabe, who is pursuing her Ph.D. in Egyptian archaeology at Kanazawa University in Japan, joined the department as a visiting scholar for the last several months as part of a program with the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

With Okabe’s studies focusing on Greco-Roman terracotta figurines recently unearthed in Egypt, having the opportunity to work with art history professor Stephanie Langin-Hooper – an expert in Hellenistic terracotta figurines – has helped further her research. Over the course of this semester, Okabe has been studying Greek art history, miniaturization theory, and current best practices in figurine analysis with Langin-Hooper. 

“Working with Dr. Langin-Hooper has been an incredible experience; she has provided thoughtful guidance and opened up many new perspectives for my research,” explains Okabe, whose visit was supported by a grant she received from JSPS’s Overseas Challenge Program for Young Researchers. “This opportunity has proven to be of great significance to the development of my dissertation, offering profound insights into the use and cultural significance of figurines in Egypt.”

Okabe had the opportunity to present her research to the Department of Art History at the end of the semester. 

Langin-Hooper and Okabe met at least once per week for several hours to discuss readings on miniaturization theory and Hellenistic Greek sculpture and figurines. Okabe’s research this semester focused specifically on miniature terracotta figurines of the goddess Isis-Aphrodite excavated from a catacomb at the Egyptian site of North Saqqara, examining their use and significance in ancient funerary contexts.

“She shared her work with me several times, which is a fascinating study of Greco-Roman period figurines recently excavated from a catacomb burial in Egypt by her and her colleagues and advisors from Japan,” says Langin-Hooper. “I advised her on how to deepen her analysis of those figurines, but I also learned a lot from her about the archaeological site on which she worked and the Hellenistic figurines found in Egypt.”

And while Okabe primarily worked with Langin-Hooper one-on-one, she also had the opportunity to sit in on the ARHS 3317 lecture course as a guest which allowed her to explore new angles to her research. Through academic conversations with Langin-Hooper and other students, as well as utilizing the resources available at ¾«¶«´«Ã½ Meadows, Okabe has been able to refine her approach and ultimately strengthen her doctoral thesis.


Okabe poses in front of the longhorn pen at the Fort Worth Stockyards.

In addition to deepening her academic work, Okabe was also able to get the full Texas experience while living and studying in Dallas. As a big fan of baseball, Okabe was very excited to have an opportunity to root for the Texas Rangers. She also visited Fort Worth with Langin-Hooper, where the pair explored the Kimbell Art Museum, visited the Stockyards to see longhorns and cattle, and ate some authentic Texas barbeque. Between furthering research for her thesis and gaining new international experiences, Okabe has been very appreciative of her semester at ¾«¶«´«Ã½.

“I’m grateful for the support from both faculty and students,” she says. “The warmth of the people and the variety of new cultural experiences have made my stay both enjoyable and inspiring.”