Key Information

Photographer

Rabden Lepcha?

Collection

Sir Charles Bell

Date of Photo

May 20th - 21st 1921

Region

Lhasa Area > Kungtang > Drokhang

Accession number

1998.285.126.1

Image Dimensions

120 x 163 mm

The drokhang (pleasure house) of the Kungtang family, where Sir Charles Bell stayed for two or three days in May 1921. Three people standing in front of building, possibly servants

Further Information

Photographic Process

Negative glass plate gelatin , Negative Half Plate

Date Acquired

Donated 1983

Donated by

St Antony's College, Oxford.

Copy difference

Lantern

Expedition

Sir Charles Bell's Mission to Lhasa 1920-21

Photo also owned by

Royal Central Asiatic Society

Previous Catologue Number

H.108

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

BL.H.108

Published

'The People of Tibet', Sir Charles Bell, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1928 [view list of illustrations]

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Bell's List of Illustrations entry: "[No. of chapter] XVI. [Subject of Chapter] The Aristocracy. [Subject of Illustration] H108 (t) The trokhang of the house of the Kungtang family, where we stayed for two or three days. [Remarks] L.77 [lantern slide 77]"

Contemporary Publication -

Contemporary Publication - Published in 'The People of Tibet', Bell, C. A., Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1928, facing p.80:" 'A feature of the ling-ka is the Pleasure House.' At Kung-tang, a few miles from Lhasa". [MS 10/9/2004]

Other Information - Dates

Other Information - Dates: On May 20th, according to Bell's Diary, he travelled to Kungtang, 5 miles from Lhasa up the Kyi Chu Valley, to witness the religious ceremonies that commemorated the birth of Gotama Buddha, the enlightenment of Gotama Buddha and his entry into Nirvana. May 21st 1921 was the day on which these three events were to be commemorated [Diary Vol X, pp. 64-5]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Drokhang of the Kungtang family, near Lhasa" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.285.126.1.html>.

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