Key Information

Photographer

Sir Charles Bell or Rabden Lepcha?

Collection

Sir Charles Bell

Date of Photo

1920-1921

Region

Lhasa

Accession number

1998.286.205.1

Image Dimensions

78 x 103

Leaves of the "White Poplar" tree at Lhasa, standing in a bottle or vase

Further Information

Photographic Process

Negative Quarter Plate

Date Acquired

Donated 1983

Donated by

St Antony's College, Oxford

Expedition

Sir Charles Bell's Mission to Lhasa 1920-21

Previous Catologue Number

Q.193

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

BL.Q.193a

Related Collections

British Library, Oriental and India Office Collections

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Bell's List of Illustrations entry: "[No. of chapter] XLII. [Subject of Chapter] The Flora [Subject of Illustration] Q193 (g). Leaves of the "White Poplar" tree at Lhasa."

Other Information - Related Images

Other Information - Related Images: Bell does not distinguish in his List of Illustrations between 1998.286.205.1 and 1998.286.205.2 and both images may be referenced by the caption for Q.193 [MS 12/8/2004]

Other Information - Cultural Background

Other Information - Cultural Background: Bell's Diary entry for 9th June:"There are two kinds of poplar trees in Lhasa; one like the kind at Gyantse; the other different to any poplar in Gyantse, the Chumbi Valley or Sikkim. The wood of the second kind somewhat resembles that of the poplar in Sikkim and the Chumbi Valley but the leaves are smaller and shaped more like the leaves of a maple. This kind is called "White Poplar" ( ja - kar ) [Tibetan script] in Lhasa. // It is used for house pillars, though soft, because it is easily carved with the designs appropriate to such pillars. Neto Jongpen thinks it is indigenous to Tibet, for he says the wood is rather poor and it would not have been worthwhile to introduce it from China or elsewhere. I do not remember to have seen it anywhere in India." [Diary Vol. XI., p.1]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Leaves of 'White Poplar"" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.286.205.1.html>.

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