Key Information

Photographer

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Collection

Evan Yorke Nepean

Date of Photo

September 16th 1936?

Region

Lhasa > Norbu Lingka > Lukhang

Accession number

2001.35.313.1

Image Dimensions

107 x 73 mm

Cloisonné lion at the Norbhu Lingka lake temple. This statue depicts a male lion playing with a ball, symbolising both strength and gentleness

Further Information

Photographic Process

Print silver

Date Acquired

Loaned August 2002

Donated by

Judy Goldthorp

Expedition

British Diplomatic Mission to Lhasa 1936-37

Photo also owned by

Lady Nepean

Previous Catologue Number

CL.24 In publication
'Lhasa Mission 1936, Diary of Events', P. Neame, H. Richardson, F. S. Chapman, Government of India Political Department [Note: photographs for October 18th - November 4th 1936 are not included as their relationship to text is not detailed; see Mission Diary text for details of images] [see photos in publication]

This Image also appears in another collection

1998.131.328

Other Information

Notes on print/mount - 'Cloisonne lion in summer palace; ink no: 52; pencil no: CL/24; blue no: 45'; from an envelope marked 'Scenes around Lhasa and the Norbhu Lingka = Jewel Park, the summer palace' [KC 14/08/2006]

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Caption in Chapman's hand-written list of negatives made whilst on the Mission to Lhasa, 1936-7 [See PRM Manuscripts Collection]: 'Cloisonné lions at lake palace' [MS 20/03/2006]

Other Information - Related Images

Other Information - Related Images: Images prefixed with 'CL' comprise a group of negatives containing images of a wooden pillar, tea pots, Tibetan mastiff, frescoes, lions at lake palace, frescoes in Norbu Lingka stables. They all seem to have been taken on about September 16th 1936 [MS 20/03/2006]

Other Information - Description: "The palaces are storehouses of rich presents that the Dalai Lamas have received in the past from different corners of the Buddhist world. Many were locked away and carefully sealed, but others could be seen in glass cases or were in use as ornaments. ... Most striking of all were several magnificent examples of cloisonné work: Chinese lions four feet in height, and elephants bearing vases on their backs. The lions showed the traditional characteristics of their sex: the male, with his paw pressed playfully on a ball, depicted gentleness in spite of strength, while the female, playing with her cub, showed affection" ['Lhasa: The Holy City', F. Spencer Chapman, London: Chatto & Windus, 1938, pp. 184-5]

Other Information - Description: "We were shown around everything, all the beautifully decorated private rooms, with lacquer, silk cushions and hangings, jewelled images and even the Dalai Lama's golden turquoise encrusted teacups. // Enormous Chinese cloisonné lions and elephants guard every door" ['Lhasa Mission, 1936: Diary of Events', September 6th 1936, p.3, written by Brigadier Philip Neame] [MS 20/03/2006]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Statue in Norbu Lingka lake temple" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_2001.35.313.1.html>.

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Statue in Norbu Lingka lake temple