Throughout his career, Welch has tried to increase awareness of Islamic art.

According to Cuno, Welch "combined a connoisseur's eye with a scholar's inclination" and laid the foundation for what was only recently a brand new discipline.

"Through his enthusiasm and his knowledge, he trained generations of leaders in the field," Cuno said.

Although Welch said he would not have considered parting with so much of his collection as recently as a year ago, he is now eager for the Sackler to house his treasures so that students may have access to them.

"Over the years," he wrote, "a small number of students are likely to discover and become deeply committed to the thrilling interconnected worlds of Persian, Turkish and Indian art through the very works that I have been happy to bring together."

Welch joined the Islamic Art and Later Indian Art department at the Fogg after receiving his master's in ancient art from Harvard. He was appointed curator of the department in 1976 and served until his retirement in 1995.

For nine years during his tenure at Harvard, Welch also headed the Islamic Art department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. He planned many exhibitions on Indian art here, at the Metropolitan and at New York's Asia Society.