Key Information

Photographer

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Collection

Frederick Spencer Chapman

Date of Photo

1936-37

Region

Lhasa > Yuthok Sampa

Accession number

1998.157.63

Turquoise Bridge or Yuthok Sampa in Lhasa. People can be seen emerging from the covered walkway and beggars can be seen seated by the wall on the left

Further Information

Photographic Process

Transparency Colour

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 Pitt Rivers Museum Number

SC.T.1.63

Other Information

In Negative - '2 LSCT 667/24' has been written on the bottom edge of the back of the transparency in pencil [MS 08/04/2006]

Other Information - Cultural Background

Other Information - Cultural Background: Pack mules passing through the Yuthok Sampa (Turquoise Bridge) so named because of the turquoise glazed tiles on its roof. The Potala Palace is visible beyond. Spencer Chapman notes that beggars sat at each end of the bridge and that the same ones appeared each day: “a blind man with a tiny black beard and a small yellow dog, a wrinkled white-haired old woman, and two youngish men revolving prayer-wheels”. (1938:150) The original structure dates back to the 7th century but it is now destroyed [CH 2003]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Yuthok Sampa, the Turquoise Bridge" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.157.63.html>.

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