Key Information

Photographer

Sir Charles Bell or Rabden Lepcha?

Collection

Sir Charles Bell

Date of Photo

July 26th 1921

Region

Lhasa > Shide Drokhang

Accession number

1998.286.250

Image Dimensions

78 x 103 mm

Well in courtyard of Shide Monastery. Willow rod for drawing leather bucket from well lies to the right. Wooden bucket into which water is poured is on the left

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.239

Previous Pitt Rivers Museum Number

BL.Q.239

Related Collections

British Library, Oriental and India Office Collections

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Bell's List of Illustrations entry: "[No. of chapter] L. [Subject of Chapter] Lhasa [Subject of Illustration] Q239 (ax) Well in courtyard of Shi-de Monastery. Willow rod for drawing leather bucket from well lies to the right. Wooden bucket into which water is poured is on the left. The well is walled throughout, with slabs of stone similar to that in the photo."

Other Information - Setting

Other Information - Setting: Bell's Diary entry for July 26th 1921: "[After visiting Sho courtroom] I paid a surprise visit to Shi-de Monastery. A service to Drol-ma is in progress, a service of praise and prayer, in which about 60 monks are taking part. We stand just outside the door and watch it. At the further end, near the main altar sits the Abbot, enthroned in his high seat. There is one Abbot only at a time; he holds office for 4 or 5 years. There are some ex-Abbots also in the Monastery. // A boy, aged about twelve years, kneels at the end of the row, nearest us in the door-way, with his back towards us. With head bowed down almost to the ground he recites passages from one of the sacred books in a low voice. He is passing an examination, for which he has studied for three years or so. When he returns to his seat, the service is resumed. There is much posturing of the hands and fingers in different ways, which I am told by the priest, who conducts us, represents the fashions [Tibetan script] after which the gods (lha) hold their hands and fingers. All seem to know what to do, and do the various actions in unison" [Vol XI pp. 59-60]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Well in Shide Monastery" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1998.286.250.html>.

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