Key Information

Photographer

Hugh E. Richardson

Collection

Hugh Richardson

Date of Photo

1940 - 48

Region

Lhasa > Jokhang (main entrance from Doring house)

Accession number

2001.59.1.74.1

Image Dimensions

54 x 43 mm

Monks performing an exorcistic ceremony in front of the main entrance of the Jokhang during the Lugong gyalpo ceremony. Three of the monks in the centre of the photograph are holding ritual items and have white cloth around their faces. In the background there are monks playing cymbals and hand-held drums may be seen on the right-hand side of the image and horns (dung chen) on the left. In the foreground, four laymen and a monk are standing around a triangular filigree metal structure topped by a white skull with wings which is the type of structure which tops a torma (gtor ma). There is a horizontal white line across the bottom part of the image.

Further Information

Activity

Ritual Activity , Worshipping

Photographic Process

Negative film nitrate

Date Acquired

Donated August 2001

Donated by

The executors of the estate of Hugh E. Richardson

Expedition

Hugh E. Richardson

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Notes on negative album - '1' 'Chipsha: Dzonggyab [rdzong rgyab]: Torgyap [gtor rgyag] ----- [illegible]' is written in white in Richardson's hand. Notes inside negative album: white label with Richardson's name and address in St. Andrews. [KC 8/7/2006]

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Notes on negative index - Folio 74. 'GTOR MA' [KC 17/7/2006]

Manual Catalogues -

Manual Catalogues - Richardson's Hand List: Negative album No.1 [Nothing for this image] [KC 26/7/2006]

Technical Information - This image seems to have been taken with a Zeiss Super Ikonta C camera. This was a 6x9 format camera but came with a film plane mask that enabled 6x4.5 images to be taken. This enabled 16 images to be taken on a roll of 120 film as opposed to 8 without the mask [MS 6/10/2005]

Other Information - Dates

Other Information - Dates: This photograph was taken after 1939 as the structure that previously stood over the bench where the Shengo would sit during ceremonies in the First month of the Tibetan year has been removed. Between 1940 and 1948 alterations were made to the Jokhang, an additional window was placed in the wall in the background of the image and the small roofed structure was removed. This has assisted the dating of this image [MS 17/6/2006]

For Citation use:
The Tibet Album. "Monks outside Jokhang during Lugong gyalpo" 05 Dec. 2006. The Pitt Rivers Museum. <http://tibet.prm.ox.ac.uk/photo_2001.59.1.74.1.html>.

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