Key Information

Photographer

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Collection

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Date of Photo

January 1st 1937

Region

Lhasa > Dekyi Lingka

Accession number

1998.131.448

Image Dimensions

159 x 108

A young Tibetan woman wearing a Lhasa style head dress decorated with pearls and corals on the top and elaborate turquoise jewellery at the side. She is also wearing an amulet box, or gau, which has been tucked into the top of her outer garment or chuba. This woman was probably what the mission members referred to as 'Chang girls', a somewhat derogatory term for the young women, often of high status, whose role at parties and lunches was partly to hand out alcohol. This young woman seems to have been referred to as 'The Cat'. She has place two beauty spots on her forehead

Further Information

Photographic Process

Print gelatin silver

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

BJ.4 [view film roll]

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

SC.T.2.448

Other Information

Notes on print/mount - 'BJ 4' has been written on the back of the print in pencil [MS 27/03/2006]

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]: 'The cat. v. close' [MS 27/03/2006]

Other Information - Related Images

Other Information - Related Images: Images prefixed with 'BJ' comprise a group of negatives containing images of the Lhasa band, chang girls, Tibetan officials including Tsarong and Ringang, Finch, Norbhu, Everest Permit and Khampa people. They all seem to have been taken in the early part of January 1937. This image seems to have been taken on the occasion of the New Year party hosted by the Mission for Tibetan officials [MS 27/03/2006]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Young Tibetan woman in head dress" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.131.448.html>.

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