Key Information

Photographer

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Collection

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Date of Photo

February 14th 1937

Region

Lhasa > Kundeling

Accession number

1998.131.374.4

Image Dimensions

203 x 258mm

Four Gelugpa monks blowing ceremonial horns on the roof of Kundeling monastery. Two blow extendable trumpets, or radung, the ends of which are supported on ornate gilt trumpet stands decorated with eight auspicious Buddhist emblems and floral motifs. The monks wear yellow hats, maroon robes, brocade holy water bottles and felt and leather boots. Cylindrical Banners, which are auspicious emblems used as roof decoration, are decorated with pearls of wisdom and a trident on the top. The banner in the foreground is especially elaborate

Further Information

Activity

Ritual Activity

Photographic Process

Print gelatin silver , Enlargement

Date Acquired

Donated 1994

Donated by

Faith Spencer Chapman

Expedition

British Diplomatic Mission to Lhasa 1936-37

Photo also owned by

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Previous Catologue Number

E.5 [view film roll]

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

SC.T.2.374

Other Information

Notes on print/mount - 'SC Roof of Gundeling Monastery' has been written on the back of the print in pencil [MS 22/03/2006]

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]: 'Full pl. Between 1 & 2 Ditto [Trumpets at Gundeling]'; PRM Manuscripts Collection: ‘List of Tibetan Prints and Negatives’ - Book 2: ‘16/2 - On the roof of Gundeling Monastery ceremonial trumpets’ [MS 22/03/2006]

Other Information - Related Images

Other Information - Related Images: Images prefixed with 'E' comprise a group of negatives containing images of Kundeling, Drepung, Gyantse, Karo La and Ralung bridge. They seem to have been taken in the last days if the Mission and after departure [MS 22/03/2006]

Other Information - Cultural Background

Other Information - Cultural Background: The radung is a very difficult instrument to play and requires perfection of a special circular breathing technique [MS 22/03/2006]

Other Information - Background: Richardson mentions this site in High Peaks, Pure Earth , London, Serindia Publications, 1998, p. 303. "The monastery of Kun-bde-gling (1936-9, 1944, 1946-50) was built by the Chinese in 1794 for their protege,the Regent Rta-tshag Ye-shes mgon-po, in celebration of their victory over the Gurkhas. It was very generously endowed. A stone stele recording the foundation, inscribed in Tibetan and Chinese, stood at the entrance of the monastery. Further north on a rocky hillock known as Ba-ma-ri (or Ba-mo-ri) stood a little temple of the Chinese war god Kuanti, known to the Tibetans as Ge-sar. ... The Ge-sar Lha-khang was popular with Tibetan pilgrims for the reading of fortunes from bamboo slips chosen at random from a tall vase." [KC 13/10/2006]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Monks blowing radung , Kundeling" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.131.374.4.html>.

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