Key Information

Photographer

Rabden Lepcha?

Collection

Sir Charles Bell

Date of Photo

August 6th 1921

Region

Lhasa > Norbu Lingka

Accession number

1998.285.252.1

Image Dimensions

120 x 163 mm

Ache Lhamo held in courtyard of Norbu Lingka, spectators around edge. Performers wearing traditional headdresses

Further Information

Activity

Dancing , Performing

Photographic Process

Negative glass plate gelatin , Negative Half Plate

Date Acquired

Donated 1983

Donated by

St Antony's College, Oxford.

Copy difference

Lantern

Expedition

Sir Charles Bell's Mission to Lhasa 1920-21

Photo also owned by

Royal Central Asiatic Society

Revised Photographer

Rabden Lepcha?

Previous Catologue Number

See H.218

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

BL.H.218a

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Bell's List of Illustrations entry: "[No. of chapter] XXXVIII. [Subject of Chapter] Folklore [Subject of Illustration] (a) Ache Lhamos of Chung Riwoche at Norbu Lingka from the borders of Tsang and Western Tibet, performing the play of 'Nor-zang'. The two teachers in the middle wear the white cloth head-dress of the old time. Trung-khor nowadays worn during Monlam. See Diary of Monlam. This head-dress was introduced by Song Tsen Gam-po."

Other Information - Related Images

Other Information - Related Images: Bell does not distinguish in his list of illustrations between 1998.285.252 and 1998.285.253, although they are slightly different images, and both may be referenced by the caption for H.218. 1998.285.253 is more out of focus because of the movement of the performers than 1998.285.252 [MS 8/6/2004]

Other Information - Setting

Other Information - Setting: Bell's Diary for 6th August 1921:"Today at Norbu Lingka the play of Nor-zang is acted by actors from the Chung country in western Tibet, where Tang-Dong Gyalpo, a lama, had a monastery called Ri-wo-che. ... These actors live more than a month's journey from Lhasa. Last year they excused themselves and did not come to Lhasa for the Ache Lhamo festival. The D[alai] L[ama] would not let them off again this year; he is anxious to keep up the old customs. Their dancing ( shap-ro ) is considered the best in Tibet, and the people of Lhasa always look forward to seeing it." [Diary Vol. XI, pp.85-7]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Ache Lhamo in Norbu Lingka" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.285.252.1.html>.

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Ache Lhamo in Norbu Lingka