Key Information

Photographer

Frederick Spencer Chapman? Major Finch?

Collection

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Date of Photo

January - February 1937?

Region

Lhasa Area >

Accession number

1998.131.544.1

Image Dimensions

61 x 92

Altar in a poorer Tibetan household decorated for New Year. Thangka paintings on the wall and a bronze figure of Padmasambhava adorned with ceremonial scarves, or khatak. Left, box of tsampa flour

Further Information

Photographic Process

Print gelatin silver

Date Acquired

Donated 1994

Donated by

Mrs Faith Spencer Chapman

Expedition

British Diplomatic Mission to Lhasa 1936-37

Photo also owned by

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Previous Catologue Number

F.15 [view film roll]

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

SC.T.2.544

This Image also appears in another collection

BMR.86.1.47.1

Other Information

Notes on print/mount - The contact print has been made using Velox paper and the trade name in an oval is visible on the back of the print. The batch development number '640' has been printed on the back of the print in red ink [MS 02/04/2006]

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]: '1/2 New Year altar'; PRM Manuscripts Collection: ‘List of Tibetan Prints and Negatives’ - Book 3: ‘13/2 - Offering on an altar in a wayside Tibetan house. Notice box of tsamba with stalks of barley and intricate devices made of butter’ [MS 02/04/2006]

Other Information - Dates

Other Information - Dates: Although the caption in this image suggests that it should have been taken in February 1937, the sequence of images prefixed with 'F' is quite unusual and in some respects seem to relate to the time at which Major Finch arrived from Gyantse to stay in Lhasa, from mid-December to January 2nd. This image may have been taken on the return journey to Gyantse [MS 02/04/2006]

Other Information - Related Images

Other Information - Related Images: Images prefixed with 'F' comprise a group of negatives containing images of Gyantse, Lhasa band, officials receiving and sending off the mission, Chaksam ferry and journey to Lhasa [MS 02/04/2006]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Altar in Tibetan home" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.131.544.1.html>.

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