A distinguished art historian and collector, Ulrich von Schroeder is one of the most influential figures in the study of Himalayan art. Few, if any, scholars or institutions can rival his efforts to broaden its visual record in print.

Raised in an environment that fostered a deep appreciation for Asian cultures, he was inspired by his great-great-uncle, Leopold von Schroeder, a prolific Indologist. At just 22, he made his first visit to Nepal, marking the beginning of a lifelong dedication to documenting Himalayan art.

Frustrated by the inconsistent dating and stylistic attributions in art publications of the 1960s and 1970s, von Schroeder undertook a rigorous four-year study that culminated in the 1981 publication of Indo-Tibetan Bronzes. This trailblazing, richly illustrated work became the first comprehensive chronology of Tibetan metal sculpture, spanning over a thousand years.

In 2001, after nine years of field research, von Schroeder published his two-volume magnum opus, Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet. This monumental work documented more than 1,000 bronzes within Tibetan monasteries previously inaccessible to the world. In 2019, he followed up with Nepalese Stone Sculptures, another two-volume tour de force, chronicling nearly 3,000 Hindu and Buddhist stone sculptures in Nepal.

To this day, von Schroeder’s publications remain the most, indeed the only, reliable encyclopaedias on their subjects. Essential to any library, they are often the first resources consulted by collectors and curators, guiding innumerable acquisitions and setting standards for authentication and connoisseurship.