Lectures from this series held at the Ģ����Ƶ:

Lecture, Research

Japanese Buddhist Art at The British Museum: Collection, Curation, Conservation and Collaboration

6:00pm, 21 Oct 2025

The British Museum holds about 1,000 items of Japanese Buddhist material, ranging from the eighth century to the present day. The majority date from the 18th and 19th centuries, and include sculptures, paintings, portable shrines, and ritual and voti…

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Lecture, Research

The Lives and Afterlives of Buddhist Icons: Deactivation and Reactivation Rituals in Medieval Japan

6:00pm, 3 Dec 2025 | Free, booking essential

This lecture by Dr Benedetta Lomi will explore how Buddhist institutions of the Heian and Kamakura periods negotiated the challenges of maintaining, repairing, and reusing their icons. In the Japanese Buddhist tradition, statues, scriptures, and othe…

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Organisers

Sujatha Meegama

Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Senior Lecturer in Buddhist Art History

Dr Lan Pu

Associate lecturer

The post Japanese Studies: Past, Present, Future appeared first on The Ģ����Ƶ.

In the Japanese Buddhist tradition, statues, scriptures, and other devotional items are not regarded as inert representations but as powerful entities that embody the presence of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Whether carved out of sacred wood, activated through ritual manipulations, or enlivened by special words and utterances, Buddhist material culture is thus eminently difficult to dispose of. Thus, in contemporary practice, temples often employ ��sending-away�� or ��soul-extraction�� rituals (Jp. hakken shiki ��Dzʽ; tama nuki ��i��) to ritually deactivate objects slated for dismantling, replacement, or disposal. Yet, in the medieval period, references to such disempowering ceremonies are strikingly absent from ritual manuals, despite the abundance of instructions for consecration and installation.

This lecture by Dr Benedetta Lomi will explore how Buddhist institutions of the Heian and Kamakura periods negotiated the challenges of maintaining, repairing, and reusing their icons. The first part examines ritual instructions preserved in medieval collections that emphasize the conservation of sacred material culture, comparing these prescriptions with the structure and doctrinal rationale of the eye-opening (kaigen �_��) consecration ritual. She argues that while generally performed to activate newly created images, the eye-opening was also repeated after repairs, relocations, or changes in ownership, suggesting that reactivation rather than disempowerment was the dominant paradigm.

The second part turns to historical sources documenting ceremonies for ��old Buddhas�� and highlight how restoration, reconsecration, and ritual reuse allowed icons to accrue efficacy through time and lineage. These accounts illuminate how the repeated performance of consecration rites effectively stood in for suspension or disposal, embedding icons in cycles of renewal that reinforced their agency and significance.

Dr Benedetta Lomi, is Senior Lecturer in East Asian Religions, University of Bristol. She holds a PhD in the Ģ����Ƶ of Religions (2011) and an MA in East Asian Art and Archaeology (2005) from SOAS, University of London, and a Laurea Magistralis in Sinology and East Asian Languages and Cultures from Ca�� Foscari, University of Venice (2004). Before joining Bristol, she was Assistant Professor of East Asian Studies at the University of Virginia and Postdoctoral Fellow in Japanese Buddhism at the University of California, Berkeley. Her research centers on premodern Japanese Buddhism, with particular attention to the material and visual culture of ritual, scriptures, and devotional objects. More recently, her work has shifted to healing practices in premodern Japan, focusing on materials and drugs (materia medica), their ritual uses, circulation, and social lives.

Organised by Dr Sujatha Meegama, Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Senior Lecturer in Buddhist Art History, The Ģ����Ƶ, in collaboration with the Royal Asiatic Society, and the Sainsbury Institute for the Ģ����Ƶ of Japanese Art and Culture.

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The Ģ����Ƶ is extending its world-leading conservation teaching from Autumn 2026, offering a unique one-year full-time programme in preventive conservation.?

The course will equip graduates with an understanding of the principles and practicalities of preventive conservation, give experience in identifying, measuring and addressing potential threats to objects.?

Preventive conservation does not involve the treatment of damaged cultural heritage, but rather addresses the causes of potential damage before it happens. These threats can take many forms, some more obvious than others �C fire and flood damage may quickly come to mind, but cumulative deterioration caused by higher light levels, or very dry or humid conditions, can require specialist monitoring equipment to detect.?

The MA Preventive Conservation at The Ģ����Ƶ is the only programme of its kind, offering face-to-face teaching, tuition, and mentoring in this fast-developing discipline. The degree is taught by in-house conservation and science specialists complemented by outside professionals with particular areas of expertise.??

The Conservation Department at The Ģ����Ƶ possesses cutting edge scientific equipment, allowing students to carry out imaging and analysis that helps them to understand the materials they will encounter in collections.?

In addition to four taught Conservation programmes, The Ģ����Ƶ also welcomes PhD researchers:?

• MA Preventive Conservation?

• MA Conservation of Easel Paintings?

• MA Conservation of Wall Paintings?

• MA Art History and Conservation of Buddhist Heritage?

• PhD in Conservation?

The Ģ����Ƶ��s Department of Conservation is one of the very few specialist centres for training and research in fine art conservation and technical art, and dates back to the mid-1930s. In addition to specialist work on the collections displayed in The Ģ����Ƶ Gallery, recent Ģ����Ƶ conservation projects include sites in China, India and Bhutan, as well as collaborations with national bodies including the National Trust and English Heritage, the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, and Tate.?

Applications for the Conservation courses taking place in the academic year 2026/27 will open in late October 2025. Prospective students can find out more about each programme at Open Days in the autumn and via The Ģ����Ƶ��s website.?

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This morning it was announced that the Reuben Foundation has donated ?30 million to the Ģ����Ƶ. This is the largest financial gift the Ģ����Ƶ has ever received.

Today��s announcement marks the beginning of a long-term partnership, which will also see the Reuben Foundation supporting the development of displays and exhibitions at the Ģ����Ƶ through sharing works from the Reuben family��s extensive collection of art.

The Ģ����Ƶ, founded in 1932, thanks to Samuel Ģ����Ƶ��s extraordinary philanthropy, brings together a world-class art collection and a globally renowned academic institute in a way unmatched by others. The Reuben Foundation��s generous gift, echoing that of Samuel Ģ����Ƶ, forms part of a major campaign being mounted for the Ģ����Ƶ��s centenary.

Having reopened its Gallery in 2021, the Ģ����Ƶ��s new campus on the Strand is expected to open in 2029. Over the last decade, ?115m has been raised for these two interlinked projects. The Reuben Foundation��s extraordinary new gift will play a transformative role in funding the Strand campus and in supporting the Ģ����Ƶ��s aim to share its expertise on the visual arts with the widest possible audience.

Commenting on the gift,?Lisa Reuben, Trustee of the Reuben Foundation, said: ��We are thrilled by the opportunity to build on the Ģ����Ƶ��s remarkable history and to support the realisation of its ambitious development. Recognised internationally as the pre-eminent centre for the study of art history, art conservation and curatorial studies, the Ģ����Ƶ exemplifies the philanthropist Samuel Ģ����Ƶ��s vision of ��art for all.�� Its enduring commitment to excellence �C reflected in the generations of leaders in the art world it has produced �C aligns seamlessly with the Reuben Foundation��s values and ethos and furthers our commitment to education and culture.��

On behalf of the Ģ����Ƶ, its Chairman, Lord Browne of Madingley, said: ��Our success has always depended on the vision and foresight of enlightened philanthropists. We are delighted to build upon this success through our new partnership with the Reuben Foundation, which enables us to evolve once more, dramatically expanding our national and international impact.��

Professor Mark Hallett, M?rit Rausing Director of the Ģ����Ƶ, said: ��The partnership with the Reuben Foundation marks a defining moment in the Ģ����Ƶ��s history, ushering in a bold new chapter and launching us into our next century with even greater ambition and purpose. We look forward to working closely with the Foundation over the coming years and creating something truly unique together.��

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The British Museum holds about 1,000 items of Japanese Buddhist material, ranging from the eighth century to the present day. The majority date from the 18th and 19th centuries, and include sculptures, paintings, portable shrines, and ritual and votive objects. Dr Rosina Buckland will introduce a selection of highlights, while considering the routes by which the objects entered the collection.

Eliza Doherty and Alex Owen will present on a recent project to conserve a lacquered wooden sculpture of a bodhisattva. Following a discussion of the conservation treatment, the talk will describe the development of a collaborative decision-making process involving curatorial and conservation teams at the British Museum and colleagues from the sculpture conservation course at Tokyo University of the Arts. This included the re-carving of new votive elements ahead of the sculpture��s display in the Museum��s Mitsubishi Corporation Japanese Galleries.

Organised by Dr Sujatha Meegama, Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Senior Lecturer in Buddhist Art History, The Ģ����Ƶ, in collaboration with the Royal Asiatic Society, and the Sainsbury Institute for the Ģ����Ƶ of Japanese Art and Culture.

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Sky-Lyn Munoz is the GoGreen Research Fellow at Ģ����Ƶ Art, involved in Work Packages 2 and 7. In her role as GoGreen Research Fellow, she supports the preparation of didactic learning materials for the dissemination of GoGreen research, contributing to Green education and sustainable practice awareness.

She holds a BA in Chemistry from Florida International University and an MA in the Conservation of Archaeological and Museum Objects from Durham University. She previously worked as a conservator for the Science Museum Group, where she focused on preventive conservation and the conservation of 3D objects.

Her professional interests center on sustainable approaches to preventive conservation and the integration of green conservation principles into education and training programs. She also serves as a Social Media Officer for the ICON Emerging Professional Network, supporting the conservation community through outreach and engagement.

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Do you want to make a difference to the future preservation and care of our shared cultural heritage? The MA Preventive Conservation is a unique one-year full-time programme that will prepare you for a professional career in the heritage sector.

Preventive conservation does not involve the treatment of damaged cultural heritage, but rather addresses the causes of potential damage before it happens. These threats can take many forms, some more obvious than others �C fire and flood damage may quickly come to mind, but cumulative deterioration caused by higher light levels, or very dry or humid conditions, can require specialist monitoring equipment to detect. Working as a preventive conservator, you could be using these monitoring systems daily, behind the scenes in a museum, to keep an eye on environmental conditions or even track the movements of insect pests. You could be asked to advise on the design and maintenance of museum spaces and new exhibitions, to make sure that collections are safely housed inside, or come up with strategies for salvage in the event of fire or flood.

The course will equip you with a sound understanding of the principles and practicalities of preventive conservation, giving experience in identifying, measuring and addressing potential threats to objects and allow you to collaborate with others to put these into practice through the development of new methods and strategies to preserve collections.

The MA Preventive Conservation at the Ģ����Ƶ offers face-to-face teaching, tuition and mentoring in this fast-developing discipline. The degree is taught by in-house conservation and science specialists complemented by outside professionals with particular areas of expertise. While a strong emphasis is placed on the scientific underpinning of preventive conservation and the ethical frameworks used in decision making, students also acquire practical skills in identification of hazards to collections and the measurement of environmental parameters. The Conservation Department at the Ģ����Ƶ possesses cutting edge scientific equipment, allowing students to carry out imaging and analysis that helps them to understand the materials they will encounter in collections.

Students benefit from studying alongside peers on the well-established and highly regarded MA programmes in easels painting conservation and wall painting conservation. In addition, collaboration with the Ģ����Ƶ Gallery and with the department��s existing partners in the cultural heritage sector, all of whom who have day-to-day responsibility for the preventive care of collections, provides a setting for field trips and practical monitoring exercises, and potential topics for the end-of-programme project and dissertation.

Programme leader

Clare Richardson, FIIC

Head of Conservation

The post MA Preventive Conservation appeared first on The Ģ����Ƶ.

Denise Invamoto is an architectural and wall paintings conservator with broad experience in the conservation treatment of wall paintings and decorative surfaces, as well as in documentation, environmental assessment and monitoring, and preventive strategies for historic buildings and collections. She has worked on major landmarks including the Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College, Knole, Canterbury Cathedral, and York Minster, and brings international experience from projects in countries including Saudi Arabia, Italy, Brazil and India.

She holds an MA in the Conservation of Wall Paintings from Ģ����Ƶ Art, where she received the William M. Dietel Prize for Research in Conservation, alongside a Master��s in History and Preservation of Architecture and a degree in Architecture from the University of Sao Paulo. Her work combines the investigation of deterioration with hands-on conservation, bringing a holistic and integrated approach to the care of wall paintings.

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