Key Information

Photographer

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Collection

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Date of Photo

October 27th 1936

Region

Lhasa > Chikyak Khenpo's House

Accession number

1998.131.451

Image Dimensions

172 x 127

The Lhasa house, formerly the residence of the Dalai Lama's favourite Kumpa La, where the Chikyak Khenpo hosted a lunch for the Mission in October 1936. Cylindrical gilt banners on roof, Buddhist plaques beneath them. Mounting block in foreground. The ladder seems to be in place to water the flower pots. On the tops of private houses one sees gyaltsen, or gilt victory banners, it means the house contains a complete set of the Buddha's teachings. The family would only live in the upper levels of the house and servants quarters would be around the courtyard

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

C.5.2 [view film roll]

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

SC.T.2.451

Other Information

Notes on print/mount - The back of the print is covered in crop and reproduction marks. The caption "An official's Lhasa House" has been written on the back in pencil, as has the caption C.5.2. A thin piece of paper has been stuck across the top back edge of the print and folded over the front. This would have been used to transfer crop and reproduction instructions. The caption has been repeated on the front, written in capital letters [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]: 'Chikyak Khempo’s [Chikyak Khenpo] house'; PRM Manuscripts Collection: ‘List of Tibetan Prints and Negatives’ - Book 1, From Gangtok to the Natu La August 1936: ‘40/1 - The Prime Minister’s Lhasa house (?) Notice golden emblems (& raven) in roof and flowers. No glass in windows’ [MS 27/03/2006]

Other Information - Cultural Background

Other Information - Cultural Background: The house features cylindrical gilt banners on the roof, Buddhist plaques beneath them and large windows. Mounting block is visible in the foreground. [CH 2003]

Other Information - Related Images

Other Information - Related Images: Images prefixed with 'C.5.' comprise a group of negatives containing images of Chikyak Khenpo, the house where the Mission met him for lunch, and views of Lhasa city, all of which seem to have been taken on October 27th 1936 [MS 27/03/2006]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Residence where Chikyak Khenpo hosted lunch" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.131.451.html>.

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