Videos
Preservation Videos
We have created a number of video resources related to the Preservation of Buddhist Treasures Resource. You can watch a few selected videos below, or check out and subscribe to our YouTube channel to explore the full video library.
Khyentse Foundation
Ann Shaftel's Khyentse Foundation lecture presentation on 55 years of Buddhist art conservation with a gracious host, sharp viewer questions, and full of delight and conservation information on "Devotion, Eternalism, Conservation" For further information on Ann's ongoing conservation projects in monasteries and their communities
The Weave of the Sacred: Textile Storage in Central Himalaya
Treasure Caretaker Training (non-profit) team members present an overview of ritual-based textile care methods and culturally embedded storage and repair techniques using case studies from the central Himalayan region.
Traditional storage methods and repair techniques are being replaced by contemporary methods. Therefore, it is important to document the changes in care and storage from traditional to contemporary— in homes, temples and community-owned sacred places.
These changes are elaborated with specific case studies from Nepal and India showcasing ritual care and storage methods as practiced in Buddhist, Newar and Hindu communities. This presentation is enriched with onsite images, and a video for safer storage of Cham robes, masks, boots and attributes.
Risk Assessment, Documentation, and Damage Prevention of Buddhist Material Culture This video shows The Preservation of Traditional and Contemporary Thangka and Paubha seminar, led by Treasure Caretaker Training, and held at Taragaon Next in Kathmandu, Nepal 2024. Risk Assessment and Documentation were introduced by Conservators Ann Shaftel and Patricia Smithen with Birat Raj Bajracharya. National Museum Director Jayaram Shrestha invited participants to practice Risk Assessment on-site in the museum galleries, and invited further collaboration for conservation of the museum's important collections. Video includes interviews with participants expressing the value of this training.video by BDG: Buddhistdoor Global
TSATSA Rachen Nunnery
Beautiful video introduces the rare historic tsatsa in a nunnery in remote Tsum, Nepal. Treasure Caretaker Training TCT is pleased to announce that in May of 2024, our conservation team is invited to Rachen Nunnery for documentation and stabilization treatment of historic tsatsa and statues. TCT volunteers will be sharing our knowledge with the Rachen nuns and those from Kopan Nunnery. This is a profound and beautiful preservation project, funded by the Firebird Foundation
June 24, 2024: Cham is frequently described as a sacred Himalayan Buddhist dance. Usually performed once a year in monasteries and their communities, Cham features awe-inspiring music, dramatic masks, elaborate costumes, and powerful dance movements. This video, created for the 2024 ICON textile conference, tells the story of the new and ancient in dance, costumes, and the remote community of Tsum, Nepal.
November 8, 2023: New video on preservation of Cham robes, masks, and boots for storage after use. This video is part of the full video, which includes storage and documentation of traditional and newer Cham attire. Treasure Caretaker Training (TCT) is grateful to Khyentse Foundation for funding the video. The Firebird Foundation for Anthropological Research funds the five-year Tsum Preservation Project by TCT. We thank Tsering Tsumpa for starring in our video, shot on location in Tsum Monastery.
January 22, 2021: The life of a thangka within a traditional monastery is different from that of a thangka on display in a museum. This talk offers a practical and low-cost approach to conservation of thangkas in monasteries, combining scientific principles with respect for traditional methods and materials.
This online talk shares 50 years of preservation experience in monasteries, combining scientific principles with respect for traditional methods and materials…
Nepali-narrated video of Preservation of Buddhist Treasures, describing preservation workshops and projects in remote Buddhist monasteries, in museums …
The Museum Society of Mumbai, St. Xavier's College professionals, and students ask thoughtful and educated questions to thangka expert Ann Shaftel in this…
In this video, Ann Shaftel presents examples of generational transfer of skills related to sustainable heritage conservation in Himalayan monasteries…
Thangka expert Ann Shaftel discusses your thangkas and how to care for them. This IGNCA webinar shows the thangka form, traditional use, and how to preserve ...