Key Information

Photographer

Rabden Lepcha?

Collection

Sir Charles Bell

Date of Photo

1920-1921

Region

Lhasa > Sho > Doring

Accession number

1998.285.59.1

Image Dimensions

120 x 163 mm

The Sho Doring inscribed edict pillar situated just below the Potala and here showing the lower portion of its southern face. Potala Palace in background.

Further Information

Photographic Process

Negative glass plate gelatin , Negative Half Plate

Date Acquired

Donated 1983

Donated by

St Antony's College, Oxford.

Copy difference

Intensifier

Expedition

Sir Charles Bell's Mission to Lhasa 1920-21

Photo also owned by

Royal Central Asiatic Society

Revised Photographer

Rabden?

Previous Catologue Number

H.57

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

BL.H.57

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Bell's List of Illustrations entry: "[No. of chapter] IV. [Subject of Chapter] History up to 1900. [Subject of illustration] H57 (c) Sho doring, inscription on lower portion of the southern face. [Remarks] L.23 (Y in L)"

Other Information - Setting

Other Information - Setting: Bell, as Hugh Richardson and other official visitors to Tibet, was keen to get photographic reference of Lhasa's famous inscription pillar. Bell's Diary for 3rd May 1921:"Tri-mon Shape is making copies of the Lhasa, ie: Tsuk Lha-khang, Doring for me, and apparently of the Sho Doring also. He has had parts of them rubbed with oil to make the letters clearer. The translations into Tibetan of the Chinese inscriptions on the Tsuk Lha-khang Doring, made for the Simla Conference, 1913-14, were made by the Chinese interpreter to the Ka-sha." [Vol. X., p.47]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Sho Doring Inscription Pillar" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.285.59.1.html>.

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