The Courtauld Institute of Art, Centre for Buddhist Art and Conservation

The vast heritage of Buddhist art—from painted caves and colossal stone sculptures to delicate porcelain and illuminated manuscripts—survives in extremely varied countries, contexts, and conditions. In light of this, the Foundation set up an endowment to establish the Centre for Buddhist Art and Conservation at The Courtauld Institute of Art, offering a Master of Arts in Buddhist Art: History and Conservation. The degree program is the first to make conservation of Buddhist art the focus of academic and practical study. The program’s premise is that the preservation of Buddhist art requires an understanding of Buddhism and the ways in which Buddhist belief, practice, patronage, and social role have influenced Buddhist artistic expressions.