This article is the result of a major storage and conservation project involving a large number of 19th century copies of 5th century Buddhist mural paintings at Ajanta which took place at the Victoria and Albert Museum in the summer of 2005. The subsequent inclusion of six of the paintings in a touring exhibition led to more extensive conservation treatment and ongoing research into the paint medium used. The suspected presence of wax and natural resins as well as oil in the paint medium may help explain certain phenomena on the paintings and their reaction to past treatments. This article will examine the cultural and practical circumstances of the production of these paintings as well as their conservation history.