Key Information

Photographer

Evan Yorke Nepean

Collection

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Date of Photo

September 8th 1936?

Region

Lhasa > Lingkhor

Accession number

1998.131.227

Image Dimensions

61 x 91 mm

Rock carvings of Buddhist deities, probably on the Lingkhor pilgrimage route around Lhasa near the Chakpori.

Further Information

Photographic Process

Negative film nitrate

Date Acquired

Donated 1994

Donated by

Faith Spencer Chapman

Expedition

British Diplomatic Mission to Lhasa 1936-37

Photo also owned by

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Revised Photographer

Evan Yorke Nepean

Previous Catologue Number

YN.48

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

SC.T.2.227

This Image also appears in another collection

2001.35.396.27.1 2001.35.133.1

Other Information

In Negative - 'YN 48' has been scratched into the negative in the bottom left hand corner. [MS 16/03/2006]

Other Information - Photographer: The inscription 'YN' in the negative relates to Evan Yorke Nepean, who was part of the Mission to Lhasa in 1936-37 and who took many photographs alongside Chapman. For this reason the image has been re-attributed as having been taken by Nepean. Nepean was a participant on the Mission to Lhasa and stayed in Lhasa during the period 6th September - 14th December 1936[MS 3/2/2005]

Other Information - Dates

Other Information - Dates: This image has been dated by relating it to similar images taken by Chapman [MS 16/03/2006]

Other Information - Description: Chapman gives an extended description of sights on the full Lingkhor circuit around Lhasa and the Potala in his book Lhasa the Holy City [London: Chatto & Windus, 1938; reprint, London: Readers Union Ltd., 1940, pp. 160-70] [MS 16/03/2006]

Other Information - Cultural Background

Other Information - Cultural Background: The Lingkhor (or outer circumambulation route) around Lhasa is regularly walked by pilgrims and other Tibetan Buddhists as a merit accruing act. These carvings (located on the route near the Medical College at Chakpori) depict a thousand Buddhas interspersed with three larger images of Sakyamuni Buddha which were painted red, blue and gold. Devotees would spin prayer wheels, recite mantras or perform full-length prostrations along the path, stopping at key points such as this to carry out other activities. At this particular site the forehead would be placed onto a Buddha image, a finger placed inside a hole or the pilgrim would crawl under the slab of rock at the foot of the wall. [CH 2003]

Other Information - Cultural Background

Other Information - Cultural Background: Pilgrims Would Circumambulate The Lingkhor (approx 6 Miles in total) And Then The Barkhor (often prostrating themselves all the way) until arriving at the Jokhang . [Marina de Alarc’n ZF 1995.1]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Deities carved into rock face on Lingkhor" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.131.227.html>.

For more information about photographic usage or to order prints, please visit the The Pitt Rivers Museum.