Key Information

Photographer

Rabden Lepcha?

Collection

Sir Charles Bell

Date of Photo

1920-1921

Region

Lhasa

Accession number

1998.285.138.1

Image Dimensions

120 x 163 mm

Two ladies, seated on chairs, wearing Lhasa-style headdresses and coral and pearl jewellery. The image is taken in front of a printed floral textile background and carpet has been placed on the floor.

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 Tape

Expedition

Sir Charles Bell's Mission to Lhasa 1920-21

Photo also owned by

Royal Central Asiatic Society

Previous Catologue Number

H.120

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

BL.H.120

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Bell's List of Illustrations entry: "[No. of chapter] XXI. [Subject of Chapter] The Women. [Subject of Illustration] H.120 (w) Two ladies seated on chairs, wearing Lhasan head-dress. [Remarks] L.106 [Lantern slide 106] [In pencil - later addition]: No - assembly"

In Negative - A piece of black masking tape has been placed across the top side of the negative glass plate on the opposite side to the emulsion, possibly to create a straight edge to the image. The negative shows that no substantial parts of the textile have been cut from the image as a result, there being a flaw in the exposure in this place [MS 27/5/2004]

Contemporary Publication -

Contemporary Publication - Published in 'The Religion of Tibet', Bell, C. A., Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1931, facing p.47:"'Some were made to marry.' Lhasan ladies."

Other Information - Setting

Other Information - Setting: These two unidentified women were probably attending a garden party. The Tibetan nobility enjoyed entertaining outdoors in tents in the summer months and the invitation was often extended to visiting Europeans. (CH 27/03/2000)

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Two ladies wearing Lhasa dress" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.285.138.1.html>.

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