Key Information

Photographer

H. Staunton ?

Collection

Harry Staunton

Date of Photo

1940 - 1941

Region

Lhasa

Accession number

1999.23.1.22.4

Image Dimensions

116 x 87 mm

A group of two musicians. The player on the left is playing a piwang one-stringed bowed instrument and the musician on the right, a flute. The latter is Muslim.

Further Information

Activity

Performing

Photographic Process

Print gelatin silver

Date Acquired

Donated 1999

Donated by

Diana Hughes

Expedition

H. Staunton

Photo also owned by

Diana Hughes

Other Information

Notes on album mount - "Kashag Entertains" is written in pencil in capital letters in the middle of the page as a general caption for all four photographs on the page. [KC 3/1/2006]

Notes on print/mount - "Lhasa municipal band" is written on the reverse of the print in blue ink. [KC 3/1/2006]

Other Information - Related image: 1999.23.1.22.3 [KC 3/1/2006]

Other Information - Setting

Other Information - Setting: F Spencer Chapman writes about this group of musicians in Lhasa: The Holy City, 1938, London: Catto and Windus, "Music was provided before, during and after the meal by an orchestra of three curiously fashioned stringed instruments, and a flute played by a bearded Ladaki with a red fez. The band was led by a blind man who is in such high favour that he enjoys the rare priviledge of being permitted to smoke even in front of the Cabinet. One of the instruments was remarkable in that the bow passed between the two strings." (p. 110-11)

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Two musicians playing piwang and flute" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_1999.23.1.22.4.html>.

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