Nyingjei Lam in the Tibetan language means 'The Path of Compassion' and this is one of the greatest collections of Himalayan art in private hands in the world. It includes rare and important Indian and Nepalese bronze sculptures of the 7th to the 12th centuries as well as many remarkable images from Tibet dating from the 10th to the 17th centuries. Among these are figures in copper, gilt bronze, silver and other materials depicting the Buddha, Bodhisattvas (future Buddhas) and esoteric Tantric deities, as well as an outstanding group of portrait images of saints and lamas. Anna Maria Rossi and her son Fabio were closely involved with the formation of the collection over a period of some twenty years.

The collection was on loan for ten years to the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, where it was exhibited for the first time in 1999, accompanied by a major illustrated catalogue by Jane Casey Singer and David Weldon, published by Calmann & King. It is now on long-term loan to the Rubin Museum of Art, New York, home to a comprehensive collection of art from the Himalayas and surrounding regions. For Caroline Chiu to have had access to such a collection was a great privilege that would be comparable to having access to the greatest sculptures by Michelangelo, Cellini or Bernini. This exceptional collaboration between museum and artist has resulted in a series of masterpieces of photography.

Caroline Chiu uses an old-fashioned Polaroid camera, weighing about 500 lbs, with a negative size of 20 x 24 in. One of only three such cameras in existence, this model has been used by such artists as Andy Warhol. The 20 x 24 Polaroid camera allows her to photograph the images at extreme magnification so that the results are as close to visual perfection as possible. The small objects are blown up to as much as 100 times their normal size, revealing details imperceptible to the naked eye, so taking on an almost abstract quality. Working with such a large camera is time-consuming and presents many challenges, with no second chances or room for mistakes with the lighting and full frame compositions but, as Caroline says: "Such a rare process suits the subject matter. The resulting images are precious in themselves, echoing the feeling of the objects."