Research Interests
- Gandharan art and archaeology
- Ancient Indian and Buddhist art
- Provenance and authenticity studies
- Art crime and antiquities trafficking
- Museum collections and collecting histories
- Museum ethics and governance
- Cultural-property protection and heritage law
- Artisanship, replicas, and modern production
- Heritage diplomacy and community-based heritage
- Digital humanities and object-based research
Education
MA in History, Government College University (GCU) Lahore
Bio
Specializing in ancient Indian and Gandharan Buddhist art, Izzah Khan’s research examines the politics of authenticity, provenance, circulation, and collection formation, with particular attention to how artisanship, replicas, forgeries, antiquities markets, and museum practices shape modern understandings of the ancient past.
In summer 2025, Khan received the Summer Institute for Technical Studies in Art (SITSA) Fellowship at the Harvard Art Museums, where she pursued object-based technical studies with a focus on Gandharan sculpture, materiality, and museum documentation. Her publications include the co-authored chapter “Taxila’s Cultural Legacy: Transactions between Ancient Civilizations and Modern Communities in a Gandharan City,” in Pakistan in Alternative Economies of Heritage (Routledge, 2025), and the co-authored article “Promoting Buddhist Heritage as Community-Based Tourism: The Case of Pakistan’s Gandhara Initiative,” in the Journal of Heritage Tourism (2025).
Khan’s broader work connects art history with religious studies, heritage governance, museum ethics, and cultural-property protection. In 2025, she was invited to speak on the implementation of the 1970 UNESCO Convention in Pakistan at an international conference organized by UNESCO and the Directorate of Antiquities and Museums. In 2026, She presented “Ornament and Adornment in the Religious Traditions of India” at the Conference on the Study of Religions in India at the University of California, Davis. She also presented her research on inclusive heritage stewardship at Antiquities Action’s Heritage Futures symposium at UT Austin, delivered an invited lecture for Austin Community College’s Art History Honors Program, and participated as an invited panelist in International Museum Day programming at Lahore Museum.
Khan is co-founder of the Gandhara Resource Center Pakistan and the Center for Culture and Development. She serves on the Executive Board of ICOM Pakistan and has been appointed as Focal Person and Lead of its Committee on Heritage Protection, Ethics, and Policy Framework and as a member of the Working Group on Museum Governance of INTERCOM, ICOM’s International Committee on Museum Management. Her interdisciplinary practice combines art history, technical analysis, archival research, digital humanities, and heritage policy.
Research Interests
- Gandharan art and archaeology
- Ancient Indian and Buddhist art
- Provenance and authenticity studies
- Art crime and antiquities trafficking
- Museum collections and collecting histories
- Museum ethics and governance
- Cultural-property protection and heritage law
- Artisanship, replicas, and modern production
- Heritage diplomacy and community-based heritage
- Digital humanities and object-based research
Education
MA in History, Government College University (GCU) Lahore
Bio
Specializing in ancient Indian and Gandharan Buddhist art, Izzah Khan’s research examines the politics of authenticity, provenance, circulation, and collection formation, with particular attention to how artisanship, replicas, forgeries, antiquities markets, and museum practices shape modern understandings of the ancient past.
In summer 2025, Khan received the Summer Institute for Technical Studies in Art (SITSA) Fellowship at the Harvard Art Museums, where she pursued object-based technical studies with a focus on Gandharan sculpture, materiality, and museum documentation. Her publications include the co-authored chapter “Taxila’s Cultural Legacy: Transactions between Ancient Civilizations and Modern Communities in a Gandharan City,” in Pakistan in Alternative Economies of Heritage (Routledge, 2025), and the co-authored article “Promoting Buddhist Heritage as Community-Based Tourism: The Case of Pakistan’s Gandhara Initiative,” in the Journal of Heritage Tourism (2025).
Khan’s broader work connects art history with religious studies, heritage governance, museum ethics, and cultural-property protection. In 2025, she was invited to speak on the implementation of the 1970 UNESCO Convention in Pakistan at an international conference organized by UNESCO and the Directorate of Antiquities and Museums. In 2026, She presented “Ornament and Adornment in the Religious Traditions of India” at the Conference on the Study of Religions in India at the University of California, Davis. She also presented her research on inclusive heritage stewardship at Antiquities Action’s Heritage Futures symposium at UT Austin, delivered an invited lecture for Austin Community College’s Art History Honors Program, and participated as an invited panelist in International Museum Day programming at Lahore Museum.
Khan is co-founder of the Gandhara Resource Center Pakistan and the Center for Culture and Development. She serves on the Executive Board of ICOM Pakistan and has been appointed as Focal Person and Lead of its Committee on Heritage Protection, Ethics, and Policy Framework and as a member of the Working Group on Museum Governance of INTERCOM, ICOM’s International Committee on Museum Management. Her interdisciplinary practice combines art history, technical analysis, archival research, digital humanities, and heritage policy.