Key Information

Photographer

Rabden Lepcha?

Collection

Sir Charles Bell

Date of Photo

1920-1921

Named Person

Sir Charles Bell, Neto Dzongpon

Region

Lhasa > Dekyi Lingka

Accession number

1998.285.311.1

Image Dimensions

120 x 163 mm

Mission grounds in Dekyi Lingka. Sir Charles Bell on pony with Neto Dzongpon by his side

Further Information

Photographic Process

Negative glass plate gelatin , Negative Half Plate

Date Acquired

Donated 1983

Donated by

St Antony's College, Oxford.

Copy difference

Lantern Intensifier

Expedition

Sir Charles Bell's Mission to Lhasa 1920-21

Photo also owned by

Royal Central Asiatic Society

Previous Catologue Number

See H.282

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

BL.H.282b

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Bell's List of Illustrations entry: "[No. of chapter] L. [Subject of Chapter] Lhasa [Subject of Illustration] H.282 (bs) Our grounds in Dekyi Lingka. Author on pony and Neto Dzong-pon by his side. L.257 (Y in L)"

Other Information - Related Images

Other Information - Related Images: Bell does not distinguish in his list of illustrations between 1998.285.310 and 1998.285.311 and both may be referenced by the caption for H.282 [MS 10/6/2004]

In Negative - Bell has applied a red mask to the negative which seems to have intensified the details of his head and face which are in the shade of his hat
[MS 5/7/2004]

Other Information - Cultural Background

Other Information - Cultural Background: Comment referring to Bell's habit of riding made in his diary for 8th March 1921: "We ride often through the market places of Lhasa. About this Palhese remarks that Tibetan and Chinese gentlemen do not ride through the markets, unless this is unavoidable, as everybody has to rise up to salute them, and this gives the people a lot of trouble. We neither desire nor receive this general salutation" [MS 10/6/2004]

Other Information - Setting

Other Information - Setting: Bell would discuss many issues with Neto Dzongpon when they were out riding together or spending time at Bell's house. Sometimes they discussed issues relating to government and international relations, but on other occasions they discussed the small details of everyday life. For example, on 28th April, they discussed the status and role of women in Tibet. Neto Dzongpon told Bell:"Wives, sisters and daughters plait their menfolks hair for them, and help them to wash it. I wash my hair every month or six weeks, and my women folk plait it for me every three weeks or so." [Diary Vol. X, pp. 42-3]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Bell and Neto Dzongpon in Dekyi Lingka" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.285.311.1.html>.

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Bell and Neto Dzongpon in Dekyi Lingka