Key Information

Photographer

Rabden Lepcha

Collection

Sir Charles Bell

Date of Photo

February 22nd 1921

Region

Lhasa > Barkhor > Jokhang

Accession number

1998.285.236

Image Dimensions

120 x 163 mm

Large chopa votive offerings being paraded through a crowd as part of the ceremonies of the 'Offerings of the Fifteenth'

Further Information

Activity

Ritual Activity

Photographic Process

Negative glass plate gelatin , Negative Half Plate

Date Acquired

Donated 1983

Donated by

St Antony's College, Oxford.

Expedition

Sir Charles Bell's Mission to Lhasa 1920-21

Photo also owned by

Royal Central Asiatic Society

Revised Photographer

Rabden Lepcha?

Previous Catologue Number

See H.206

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

BL.H.206a

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Bell's List of Illustrations entry: "[No. of chapter] XXXII to XXXIV. [Subject of Chapter] The Religion [Subject of Illustration] H.206 (dp) The two offerings of Gyu monastery in the "Offerings of the Fifteenth." (Diary VIII, 93). [Remarks] See also (bm)"

Other Information - Related Images

Other Information - Related Images: Bell does not distinguish in his list of illustrations between 1998.285.236 and 1998.285.237 and both images may be referenced by his caption for H.206 [MS 17/02/2006]

Other Information - Setting

Other Information - Setting: Bell does not mention this event in his Diaries on this day, although he cross-references a Diary entry in Volume VIII p.93 in his list of illustrations and he has photographs of the event, almost certainly taken by Rabden Lepcha [1998.285.215, 1998.285.236] [MS 17/02/2006]

Other Information - Description: Using one of Bell's images of this event to illustrate the text, Hugh Richardson described events at the 'Offerings of the Fifteenth' thus: "In the evening there is a spectacular festival known as the Chonga Chopa , the 'Offerings of the Fifteenth'. All afternoon monks and servants of the government, the great monasteries and noble houses have been busy all round the Barkor, erecting tall wooden scaffoldings often higher than the roof of the Tsuklakhang and neighbouring houses. On these they fix pyramidal leather frames covered with elaborate decorations in coloured butter - deities, lamas, demons, lions, dragons, garudas, auspicious signs, flowers and more besides. Some of them incorporate movable figures; an oracle being the most popular. The shape of these huge chopas resemble that of the torma , cake offerings made of dough and butter or of painted wood seem on most altars. The ingenuity and skill in the craftsmanship is remarkable and there is keen competition to produce the best chopa " [ Ceremonies of the Lhasa Year , Hugh Richardson, London: Serindia Publications, 1993. p.27]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Chopa o fferings from Gyu Monastery" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.285.236.html>.

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